Before my diagnosis with leukemia, two years ago at the age of

In the tender years of youth, we are often filled with a desire to improve ourselves, to set goals, and to carve a path that leads to greater success and fulfillment. Suleika Jaouad captures a deeply human truth when she shares, "Before my diagnosis with leukemia, two years ago at the age of 22, I'd always excelled at making resolutions. But I was never as good at keeping them." This quote speaks not only of the fleeting nature of youthful ambition but also of the fragility of life itself. It highlights the tension between the aspirations we set for ourselves and the reality that often arises, reminding us that life’s greatest challenges do not always align with the plans we make.

In the age of the ancients, such truths were often embedded in the stories of gods and mortals, where heroic aspirations were frequently met with the harshness of fate. Take, for instance, the tale of Heracles, whose twelve labors were not mere challenges but imposed upon him by the gods as a form of penance. Even with his unmatched strength, Heracles could not control the forces that shaped his destiny. His story teaches us that no matter how strong our resolve or how noble our intentions, we must contend with forces beyond our control. Similarly, Jaouad’s struggle with leukemia, a diagnosis that came without warning, serves as a modern reminder that life’s greatest tests are often those that interrupt our well-laid plans.

The story of Jaouad underscores the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. Before her diagnosis, she was no different from many of us—full of ambition, eager to improve, and driven by the desire to craft a better future. But, like so many before her, she faced a test that no amount of planning could have foreseen. The human condition has always been fraught with the tension between willpower and fate, between the resolutions we make and the unexpected turns life takes. Socrates himself, despite his profound wisdom, knew that wisdom was not just about knowledge, but about accepting the unknowns of life and embracing the journey with humility.

We see this same theme echoed in the **life of Gandhi, who, despite his unwavering commitment to nonviolence and justice, was met with personal and political struggles that he could not have predicted. Yet Gandhi did not abandon his resolutions. Instead, he adjusted, grew, and learned to adapt to the realities he faced, holding steadfast to his deeper values rather than his immediate plans. Similarly, Jaouad’s journey of survival and reflection on the nature of resolutions reveals that true strength lies not in never being shaken by the winds of life, but in our ability to adapt and persevere, even when the road before us is vastly different from the one we had imagined.

In her reflection, Jaouad is not lamenting her inability to keep resolutions, but acknowledging the profound change that comes with confronting life’s unexpected realities. Her words remind us that the moral victories in life are often not in the achievement of the goals we set for ourselves, but in our response to adversity. Life’s tests—whether they come in the form of illness, loss, or failure—reveal the depth of our character. The true measure of strength is not in the successes we achieve, but in the courage we show when our plans fall apart. As Marcus Aurelius taught, we are not disturbed by events, but by our perceptions of them. To keep our resolutions, then, is not simply about achieving goals, but about learning how to adapt and remain true to our deeper sense of self, no matter the obstacles.

In the face of such uncertainty, the lesson we can draw from Jaouad’s words is clear: resolutions are not about a rigid, unchanging path, but about a commitment to growth. We are all, in some way, bound by the same fate—none of us can fully control the circumstances of our lives. But we can control how we respond to them. Just as Heracles overcame each labor by adapting and persevering, so too must we learn to accept the changes that come our way with grace and resilience. Suleika Jaouad’s story teaches us that while we cannot always predict or control life’s challenges, we can find strength in the way we face them, knowing that our resolve to move forward, despite everything, is the true measure of our character.

Therefore, let us not hold ourselves to an impossible standard of perfection in our resolutions. Life will continue to present obstacles we cannot foresee, and our plans will inevitably be tested. What matters is not whether we keep every promise we make to ourselves, but how we adapt when those promises must be changed. Let us make resolutions not just for the things we wish to achieve, but for the strength to embrace life’s uncertainties, to rise to meet them, and to find meaning in the journey, no matter where it leads.