Life only demands from the strength you possess. Only one feat is possible -- not to have to run away.

It was a summer vacations' Saturday. My students were playing cricket in my friend's garden. I still recall the crack of the bat and sound of breaking glass as the ball sailed right through the centre of my friend’s dining-room window. 'Smash'

My friend; who understood that young boys did these things, gave them the chance to do the right thing. He asked them to help him pick up the pieces. After cleaning up the glass, they were able to continue enjoying their game; this time, down at the nearest cricket ground.

Challenges help us to develop strength and resiliency. However, there is another aspect of life's challenges to consider. Sometimes things break beyond fixing. Certain mistakes are irreversible. Tragedy may take away our physical abilities or even the life of someone we love. We might spend years preparing for a career or building a relationship only to see it stolen by circumstances beyond our control. Unlike shattered windows, we cannot always replace shattered hopes, dreams, and relationships. However, that is not the end of the story.

In times of disappointment, our first course of constructive action may be to pick up the pieces. We need to allow ourselves to feel the pain and move through the grief or sense of unfairness completely before we can re-start.

Picking up the pieces is not giving up. It is an act of responsibility and compassion toward the self - a process of cleansing the soul, putting the past in order and releasing fearful thoughts. It brings closure that allows us to move forward with acceptance, forgiveness and serenity.

We have the strength to see life's seemingly unfair demands in a miraculous new way. We can choose to see blessings where the world would have us see only tragedy or regret. Instead of surrendering our aliveness, we find renewed courage and new opportunities to serve humanity.

Our greatest blessing is the discovery that we not only have the strength to pick up the pieces of our own shattered dreams but also to help others rebuild their lives. We can ask Allah to outshine fear with thoughts of love and compassion. This prayer can reveal blessings even in the toughest of times.

Indeed, the hardest of times will teach that compassion is one of the greatest miracles when dreams get shattered. "Picking up the pieces when they fall" begins a journey to living anew with love, courage and hope for a bright future.