The turning point in the process of growing up is when you

“The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.” So wrote Max Lerner, the historian and thinker, capturing in a single breath the ancient wisdom that maturity is not measured by age, nor by the number of years lived, but by the awakening of the inner fortress—the core of strength—that cannot be shattered by pain. Childhood is sheltered, shielded, and innocent, but the true passage into adulthood begins when the soul learns that wounds will come, yet beneath them lies a part of us that endures unbroken.

The ancients too spoke of this. The Stoics said that within each human dwells a citadel of the spirit, untouchable by fate or misfortune. The Hindus spoke of the Atman, the eternal self that no blade nor fire can destroy. And the poets of every land have declared that the human heart is resilient beyond all imagining. Lerner’s words belong to this lineage, reminding us that growing up is not merely about knowledge or independence, but about uncovering this hidden strength, the flame that survives every storm.

Consider the story of Nelson Mandela. As a young man, he was passionate but untested; life had not yet revealed to him the depth of his own resilience. But in the crucible of prison, through years of chains and silence, he discovered within himself a core of strength that outlived humiliation, injustice, and despair. That strength was not given by others, nor found in the outer world, but uncovered within. And when he emerged, he stood unbroken, a man who had truly grown into greatness, because he had found the part of himself that no hurt could destroy.

So too with Helen Keller. As a child, struck deaf and blind, she seemed condemned to a life of isolation and dependence. But as she struggled, with her teacher’s hand guiding her, she uncovered her own inner strength. She learned that though the senses could be darkened, the soul had a light that no deprivation could extinguish. Her life became a testament to Lerner’s truth: that the passage into maturity is marked by finding that eternal flame within, which no hardship can ever quench.

O children of tomorrow, you too will be hurt. You will be betrayed, disappointed, and scarred by life’s trials. This is the way of the world. But do not despair. For hidden within you is a core of strength that no sorrow can break. It lies quiet until the hour of trial awakens it, and when it stirs, you will find yourself changed—not a child sheltered from pain, but a soul that has discovered its immortality. This is the true turning point of life, the passage from fragility into enduring strength.

The lesson is plain: seek not to avoid all hurt, for that is impossible, but to uncover the strength that survives it. Practically, let each person do this: when hardship strikes, sit with it, endure it, and listen for the voice within that whispers, “You are not defeated.” Build resilience daily through reflection, prayer, meditation, and the remembrance of past struggles already endured. Each wound survived is proof that your inner fortress still stands.

Thus remember Max Lerner’s wisdom: “The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.” Let these words be a torch in your darkness. For the world will strike, and pain will come, but the true victory is not in avoiding the blow—it is in rising after it, carrying the unbroken flame of your spirit into every dawn that follows.