“Strength is a Matter of a Made-Up Mind”- Ruchi Rathor
We often say things like, “Don’t cry, you’re strong,” or “Are you weak?” without even thinking. Society has conditioned us to believe that tears are a sign of weakness and that showing emotion somehow strips us of our strength.
But why is our first instinct to silence someone’s vulnerability?
Why do we rush to patch up their breaking point with platitudes instead of presence?
I Used to Cry Easily Alone.
Growing up, I was sensitive. It didn’t take much for tears to well up in my eyes. But I often cried in silence, away from others, ashamed of my emotions.
Over time, I taught myself to shut it down.
I told myself, “Strong people don’t cry.”
And I believed it.
That belief became a script I performed for years.
No matter what life threw at me, grief, heartbreak, pressure
I wore my strength like armor. I kept smiling. I kept moving. I didn’t let anyone see the cracks.
But Here’s the Truth No One Tells You
The longer you pretend to be okay, the lonelier it gets.
The more you suppress your pain, the heavier it becomes.
And eventually, your so-called strength starts to look like emotional isolation.
The world celebrates resilience, but it rarely makes space for rest. We’re expected to keep going, keep serving, and keep showing up often, all at the cost of our own mental and emotional health.
And when you’ve been strong for too long, people assume nothing touches you. They forget you’re human, that you feel. That you bleed. You need support, too.
Being Strong Shouldn’t Mean Suffering in Silence
The strongest people you know?
They’ve fought the hardest battles, many of them in silence.
They’ve survived heartbreak, trauma, rejection, and failure.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t get tired. It doesn’t mean they don’t need help.
We often expect the most from the people who give the most.
We lean on them constantly without checking whether they have anything left to give.
And if you’re that person, the “strong one,” you know what I’m talking about.
You hold everyone else. But who holds you?
It’s Time to Redefine Strength
Real strength isn’t about suppressing your emotions.
It’s about being honest about them.
It’s about saying, “I’m tired.”
“I need help.”
“I’m not okay right now.”
The strength is choosing to rest.
Strength is asking for support without shame.
Strength is showing up for yourself before the world demands another piece of you.
A Personal Reflection
This piece is deeply personal not just to me, but to so many people around me.
To my father, the unwavering pillar of our family, who never allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of us.
To my mother, who juggled work, home, and everything in between without a single complaint, never once admitting she was tired.
Sound familiar? Many of us have parents like these quiet warriors who kept it together for us, often at the expense of themselves.
Maybe it’s time we stop expecting them to be superheroes.
Maybe it’s time we give them space to be human, too.
To be tired. To cry. To rest. To be held.
Final Reflection
If you’ve been strong for too long, I see you.
You don’t need to prove anything.
You don’t need to earn rest.
You don’t need to keep performing strength when your soul is craving softness.
Pause. Breathe. Let yourself feel.
You can only pour into others when your cup is full.
And you deserve care, too, not just from others, but from yourself.
Because strength isn’t about how much you endure in silence.
It’s about how well you honor your truth out loud.
With warmth and truth,
Ruchi Rathor
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