It’s true that, in the midst of complex situations, it isn’t easy to keep the desire to stay on the course we’re meant to follow. Many times we feel tempted to stray—not out of curiosity or a need to try something new, but because we no longer understand what we’re doing, or simply because the will to continue fades away. Call it discouragement, laziness, or sorrow; or perhaps the path itself, unintentionally, leads us to a place we don’t understand. Deep down, we feel that this unknown destination makes no sense: it’s a road we’re supposed to take, yet we no longer know where it’s leading us.

I’m speaking, among other things, about the need to heal—to leave behind a bit of the pain we’ve already been overcoming but that, at times, returns to shake us with tremors of doubt and anxiety we wish we could avoid. We’d like this moment to come and go quickly, but the truth is, it rarely passes in an instant. It always tries to disturb our peace with the screech of its doubts and the creak of its fears. That’s where our will is tested, and where we must decide what we truly want to do with this situation in our new life. Hard as it may be to believe, it’s not by our own strength alone that we make it through—it’s the mighty love and will of God that carry us across. That’s what happened to me; that’s why I live so deeply grateful to my Creator. It’s not that my will was weak—what happens is that the energy of that supernatural love—one that surpasses all understanding—fills you with an unstoppable strength and makes your faith unshakable: faith in His grace and in the conviction that all will be well, no matter what challenges lie ahead.

It’s important to know, as a wise person once told me, that “this is not a gospel of prosperity.” Believing in God and following His teachings doesn’t mean being shielded from hardship or pain. No! It means that, in the darkest moments, you can rely on that love that lifts you up and keeps your situation from becoming even harder; that, unbelievable as it may seem, you’ll feel an inexplicable joy leading you down paths so unexpected you’d never take them with an egocentric mind—but they’ll lead you to peace: inner peace, peace with your surroundings, and above all, peace of mind.

Another part of the journey—the one we travel most often in the middle of the storm—is everyday life, where day by day we overcome fears, achieve goals, and make dreams come true. Yes, dreams!—I know—it’s hard to have them amid such circumstances. But what would your life be without them? I tell you this because I’ve been there: a life without dreams becomes an empty world, meaningless, where everything runs like a machine built for a single task—an industrialization of existence in which every moment has a precise process, without variation—and, over time, you realize that everything is mechanical. You don’t even have to think to perform a task, and you move forward like a robot: without feelings, without purpose, without emotion.

That’s where dreams make all the difference. When you have a few clear ones—those that rise from deep within—and you decide to pursue them, not just dream about them; and if, moreover, that dream carries a purpose that truly touches someone or something, then your life gains new meaning: the reason to rise each morning from your slumber and follow your goal. Then you dare to create with your imagination what you hadn’t dared before; your energy shifts, your mood brightens, and everything begins to flow in harmony—as if you were conducting the symphony of your life. Each instrument in that orchestra enters with perfect timing and adds to the score of your purpose. And when one goes out of tune, the melody changes: there, as the conductor, you pause the rehearsal, tune what needs tuning, and resume the piece. That’s daily life: moving forward, stopping, repairing, being inspired again, and continuing along the path that leads to the purpose of your dream—or your life. When you look back on what you’ve been through, you realize how much you’ve learned: your character has changed, you’ve become more empathetic and less judgmental, and you’ve even gained a bit more wisdom to share with those around you.

That is what you truly find when you overcome difficulties: you can finally say it was worth it—and that you found a reason why, instead of just a reason why not. That’s where THE GIFT lies.