You don't have to be a scared person. I've had so many

Ariel Sharon, a soldier hardened by war and a leader tested by destiny, once declared: “You don’t have to be a scared person. I’ve had so many tragedies. I’ve managed to withstand things that you may think you cannot tolerate. But I have the strength.” These words are not spoken in arrogance, but in the voice of one who has endured the storms of fate and lived to carry their scars. They are both testimony and teaching: that though suffering may come like a flood, the human spirit, if it refuses to yield, can rise above it.

The meaning of this quote is profound. Sharon does not deny tragedy, nor pretend that life is gentle. He acknowledges the weight of sorrow, the crushing blows that would break lesser men. Yet in the midst of this acknowledgment, he offers defiance: you need not be ruled by fear. For though pain and loss are certain in the course of life, within every soul lies the seed of strength — the power to endure beyond what one first imagines possible. It is only when tested that this strength is revealed.

The origin of Sharon’s words lies in his own life of trial. As a soldier, he fought through wars that threatened the very existence of his nation. As a leader, he bore the judgment of the world and the weight of responsibility for his people. Yet perhaps greater than these public battles were his private tragedies, including the loss of his young son. From such wounds many never recover. Yet Sharon stood firm, declaring that the human heart can withstand even what seems unbearable. His life became proof of the principle he spoke: strength is discovered through survival.

History offers other witnesses to this truth. Think of Winston Churchill, who led Britain through its darkest hour. The bombs of the Blitz rained upon his people, and the shadow of Nazi conquest loomed. Yet Churchill proclaimed, “We shall never surrender.” He, too, knew tragedy and despair, yet he transformed them into courage that gave his nation hope. Like Sharon, he revealed that strength is not the absence of fear, but the refusal to bow before it.

There is also in Sharon’s words a challenge to all who hear them. Many live believing they cannot endure hardship, that tragedy would break them beyond repair. Yet Sharon insists otherwise: “I’ve managed to withstand things that you may think you cannot tolerate.” His life stands as testimony that what seems impossible to endure is not beyond human capacity. In this way, his voice calls us to see ourselves not as fragile, but as capable of rising through suffering, discovering reservoirs of power we did not know we possessed.

The lesson is thus clear: do not live as a scared person. Fear will come, tragedy will strike, but you are not powerless. Within you lies a hidden strength that awakens only when trial presses hard upon you. Do not despair when life tests you — for it is through these tests that you will discover your true measure. Like the soldier in battle, like the leader in crisis, you will learn that you can endure more than you ever believed.

Therefore, my children, carry Sharon’s words in your hearts. When grief falls upon you, when fear whispers that you cannot go on, remember: you have the strength. It is not always seen in advance, but it is born in the hour of need. Stand firm, and do not let yourself be ruled by terror. For though life may bring many tragedies, those who refuse to yield become pillars for others, proof that the human spirit is greater than despair, and that courage shines brightest in the night.