Breakdown
At the core of this passage is a profound truth: resilience is the common thread among all who overcome adversity. Whether in fiction or real life, every hero’s journey involves trials that should have broken them, yet they persist. This idea applies universally, from the protagonists of great autobiographies to the everyday person who refuses to be defeated by life’s hardships.
Key Themes & Breakdown:
- The Weight of Experience:
- The passage encourages listing personal hardships as a way to acknowledge and validate the struggles faced.
- It frames difficulties as not just obstacles but defining moments in one’s story.
- The Power of Survival:
- The phrase “should have broke you that did not break you” emphasizes that survival itself is an act of triumph.
- The use of “should have” suggests that these challenges were severe enough to derail someone, yet they didn’t.
- The Universality of Resilience:
- It connects personal struggles to the larger narrative of human perseverance.
- “Every hero of every story” links individual endurance to legendary figures, reinforcing that survival and progress are acts of heroism.
- Moving Beyond Survival:
- It’s not just about making it through struggles, but still having the ability to “make stuff happen.”
- This highlights agency, the ability to act and shape one’s future despite the past.
- The Spiritual & Emotional Affirmation (Amen, Amen):
- Ending with “Amen, Amen” adds a spiritual weight, acknowledging the magnitude of perseverance.
- It’s a declaration that one’s survival is not just a personal victory but something worthy of gratitude and recognition.
How to Apply This Concept to a Memoir:
- Create a list of defining hardships in your life—moments that could have broken you.
- Show, through storytelling, how you moved past them or how they shaped your path.
- Highlight the moments where you chose to keep going, even when it seemed impossible.
- Connect your story to a larger human or cultural narrative—how does your survival mirror those of historical figures, fictional heroes, or the people you admire?
- End with a sense of empowerment: What do you do now because of everything you’ve endured?
This passage serves as both a personal reflection and a call to action—your story matters because you are still here, still pushing forward, and still making things happen.