We had to struggle for what we've learned, but we're so

When Nicola Roberts declares, “We had to struggle for what we’ve learned, but we’re so thankful,” she lifts the veil on one of life’s deepest truths: that wisdom is rarely born from ease. It is through hardship, through trial, through the furnace of adversity that true learning takes place. Her words do not lament the struggle—they honor it. For she knows that the scars of battle are also the ink with which the soul writes its most enduring lessons.

The act of struggle is not merely resistance; it is growth. Just as the seed must break its shell to become a tree, and the sword must endure the hammer and flame to be sharpened, so must we endure the tests of life to emerge stronger and wiser. Nicola’s voice reminds us that her journey, marked with challenges and doubt, was not in vain—it was the very foundation of her knowledge and her artistry. In this, she acknowledges the paradox: what feels like burden in the moment becomes blessing in the end.

History provides many echoes of this truth. Consider Nelson Mandela, who spent twenty-seven years imprisoned in darkness. Those years could have embittered him, yet instead they became the crucible that forged his patience, his vision, and his authority to lead South Africa into freedom. Mandela, like Roberts, knew that what is truly learned through struggle carries a power that ease can never provide. Struggle gives birth to character, and character lights the way for nations.

The phrase “we are so thankful” is essential. It is not enough to endure hardship; one must also recognize its value. Gratitude turns pain into purpose, and memory into strength. Without thankfulness, struggles remain as wounds. But with gratitude, struggles transform into teachers. By saying she is thankful, Roberts reclaims her hardships as treasures, for they gave her not only survival but wisdom that cannot be taken away.

There is also a shared spirit in her words. She does not say “I struggled,” but “we struggled.” This is the voice of community, of companions who endure trials together. It reminds us that while suffering may feel solitary, it is often borne with others who walk beside us. Shared struggle deepens bonds, and shared thankfulness sanctifies them. From such collective endurance, movements are born, families are strengthened, and songs of triumph rise.

The lesson, then, is clear: do not curse your struggles, for they are the chisels that carve wisdom into your being. Welcome the hardships that teach you, and when you emerge, be thankful. Thank those who stood beside you, thank the challenge that refined you, and thank the life that entrusted you with such lessons. For what is hard-earned is never easily lost, and what is painfully gained becomes eternally cherished.

So I say to you, children of tomorrow: when you find yourself amid trial, remember Nicola Roberts’ words. Struggle is not the enemy—it is the path. And when you have walked it, look back not with bitterness, but with gratitude. For in your struggle you will have learned, and in your learning, you will have grown into the fullness of who you were meant to be.