The Transformative Power of Perspective
What happens when a moment that should have ended your story becomes the beginning of a new way of living? In this deeply personal reflection, I share how surviving a near-impossible accident led me through loss, darkness, and – unexpectedly – into gratitude. If you’ve ever wondered whether something painful could hold a hidden gift (without pretending it was “good”), this piece will meet you there. Read on and see what might change when you shift the lens.
4/27/20262 min read
It was exactly 28 years ago that I got hit by a bus. Statistically, I had less than a 1% chance to survive. And yet 12 days later, I walked out of the hospital. Without obvious side effects. At least, that’s what it looked like. A 30-centimeter scar across my forehead. Migraines. And the complete loss of smell and taste. And still my life did not turn into a Hollywood fairy tale. What followed was not light, but darkness. Not ease, but struggle.
Today, I cannot change what happened. But I can decide how I look at it, how I think about it, and what I make of it. And today, I choose something that might sound surprising: I am grateful.
Grateful, because without that accident, I would not be the person I am today. I would not be where I am today.
Grateful for the doctors, not only for saving my life, which in itself was already a miracle, but for the care and mastery with which they reconstructed my face. The traces are barely visible today. Except for one detail I secretly love: my left eyebrow carries the mark of reconstruction, while the right one doesn’t. My own quiet “before and after” story written directly on my face. 😊
Grateful for the nurses who showed me something I had never truly experienced before: Unconditional love. Not because I achieved something. Not because I proved anything. But simply because I was alive. You might argue what an achievement it was to be alive under those circumstances, but that’s another story. 😉
Grateful for the reference point this experience gave me. A place I can return to in difficult moments and say: If I could survive that… I can move through this too.
Grateful that after 18 years, my sense of taste and smell returned. Not as something I take for granted, but as something I stay curious about. Something I experience with awareness.
And maybe most of all, I am grateful that I met death so closely, so early. Because today, I don’t fear it. I respect it. I accept it. And because of that, I choose to live. Not someday, not when everything is perfect. But now. To be present, to feel, to experience, and to be curious about life, and the people in it.
What I learned: Even the most painful experiences can become a source of strength, wisdom, and yes – even happiness. Not because they were good. But because we choose what we make of them.
So let me ask you: What is one experience in your life that you’ve only seen as “horrible”, and what might change if you allowed yourself to look at it differently? You don’t have to force gratitude. But you can stay open to what else might be possible.
JelenLét – Embrace the Present ∙ Empower Your Future.
A space where your past doesn’t define you but can become part of your strength.