Life gives and gives. It rarely takes away if we are paying close attention. How do you ask? Well, Shakespeare wrote, “to thine own self be true.” Can we give credence to his famous saying in each of our lives? Perhaps, yes, if we remember our true nature, our only true north.
Our true nature is presented via the gift of life. As we grow, circumstances in our lives will give us the downs and ups in life that are often unspoken but most common. It is up to us to take from life the gifts that it presents, even if they are presented as challenges. We must take the good and throw away the bad.
As my beloved grandmother said often, “Take in the good, but leave out the bad.” She wasn’t being just precise, she was so precisely wise.
While we think we lose things in life, perhaps money, status, health of ourselves, our parents, our kids, material goods—you name it—we actually are given a test to see how much we can stay true to ourselves. That is, if we are fortunate to have discovered some of our best qualities. Staying true to our best qualities will keep us from actually losing hope, from actually losing health, from actually losing what we think it is that we thought we lost.
Perhaps a lost limb has affected your sense of identity, your ability to move ahead. But there is not a single question. Our qualities are not defined by a limb or a lost body part. We are more than our individual parts, no matter who says what. Our qualities lie in our hearts, foremost, and then are conveyed by our actions and words. The true test of our lives is if we are happy with ourselves, our ability to “be true,” no matter whatever loss we think we may have endured. Indeed, life gives and gives. Our only job is to learn this and remember it when circumstances feel like they hit our shores of individuality. 
Source/Credit for Photos:
Top Photo: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Light-Up-Moon-Lamp-Touch-Control-7-2-Colors-Night-Light-Lighting-LED-3D-Printing-Warm-Moon-Light-Brightness-Gift-for-Kids-Valentine/608167490
Bottom Photo: https://www.planetware.com/fiji/best-fiji-islands-fj-1-2.htm