WHAT DOES 'STRENGTH' MEAN TO YOU? - A THOUGHT COMPILATION FROM SELECTED WRITERS

'Strength' is an interesting word - both literal and metaphorical. Visible and invisible. Physical and mental. A skill, a talent, a god-given gift and sometimes, a curse when you are the only one expected to shoulder certain burdens. 

I wondered what other writers thought of it. 

"In 500 words or less, what does 'strength' mean to you?" I asked. 

And here are their responses. 

Where does strength lie?

In whispered words or loud actions

In moments or in memories

 In the wounds of today or the scars of yesterday

 In friendships that have withered or friendships that have overcome

 In Love that has faded or Love that is new

 In situations where you do not make it to the priority list of a beloved one 

In trying to navigate a new phase of life, gracefully and carefully

 In lost thoughts and secret wishes

 In the arms where a hug has turned cold

 In the awkward silence that looms between us

 In the distance between a new mother and an old

 In saying no when you wanted to say a yes

 In tears that have forgotten to flow

 Tell me, where does strength really lie?

By Ragini Ravichandran

On Instagram as @ragini.ravich

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One Wave At A Time

Young olive ridley hatchlings were crawling ahead towards the raging water and an uncertain future. Leaving the comfort of the egg and the warmth the land provides, they are moving en masse towards the wide, chilly, mysterious marine world, which does not seem to be in a mood to accept them. Even though their inborn senses urge them to go towards water, there are a few obstacles that they have to overcome on their elemental journey.

It's tiring for these tiny creatures to wriggle with their small flippers and drag the heavy shells on their back over the beach to reach nearby water. Driven by their instincts, they all seem to be aware that living on land can harm them, as predators are roaming around in large numbers, some with wings and some with legs. Even if there is a risk of dehydration or getting trapped in plastic waste, they know somehow that the best way to survive is to move forward towards the Sea.

The waves from the Sea test them, and the power of the waves topple or push these hatchlings back. After a lot of struggle, the toppled-over turtles manage to get back on their flippers and continue to advance, only to meet another wave that treats the hatchlings like the previous one. There are a lucky few who might be able to get their bearings right and be near the wave at the right point, which gives them the ability to float. Otherwise, the practice of getting thrown back and then crawling forward continues for a while. These small creatures, without any guidance, simply followed their instincts to face the challenges ahead of them to attain their primary objective and gave me a fresher perspective on what 'strength' means. Their imprint on the beach might have washed away by the successive waves, but their impression on my mind remains forever.

Strength is generally considered measurable, like how much weight you can lift, how many people follow you, how long you can endure pain, etc. What if there is a kind of strength that is not perceivable. Many out there go through struggles that they may never convey to others in fear of being treated as an outsider. Sadness, despair, anger, insecurity, and many other feelings hit our mind and body like waves from the Sea. The pressure of approval is high. There is strength inside each one who wakes up and persists even while facing setbacks.

What would be going in the mind of a turtle hatchling when it crawls towards the waves? It may have decided to face one wave at a time or considered that it was okay to fail.

Maybe its strength may be generated from being present in that moment.

By Nishand Venugopal

On Instagram as @nishandvenugopal

***

Her Inner Strength 

She stood with eyes so full of pain,

Her heart a storm, her soul in strain,

A life within, a spark so bright,

But shadows crept in through the night.

She held her dreams, her hopes so high,

But Love had lied, and she could only sigh.

He promised worlds, a future sweet,

But left her broken, lost in deceit.

Her first child, a fleeting breath,

A love now caught in silent death.

She let it go, her heart did weep,

For what was lost, for what she'd keep.

The world would judge, and whispers fly,

But they don't see the strength behind her sigh.

For in the silence, in the grief,

She found her power, her own belief.

No longer bound by shattered trust,

She rose again, from pain to dust.

A woman's heart, though bruised and torn,

Is a force unbroken, reborn, reborn.

With every tear and every scar,

She learned that she's her shining star.

Through loss, through Love, through dark deceit,

She walks her path, no matter how steep.

For strength is more than what we hold,

It's found in letting go, being bold.

She let him go, she let it be,

And found her soul, forever free.

By Subhashini R

On Instagram as @myquirkywritingproject

***

When Love bloomed among tea bushes!

To begin with, I must accept and make it aware to all of you that writer's block' is real. The first intimation of strength that I feel is this piece that I submit to Inkspire, which I write after a gap of 2 years. This is my personal victory. 

It is strength of another kind that gives me the courage to put down words about the the two most important people in my life who have lived a life and proved to me how to be strong during the most challenging situations!

The struggles they came across in their early twenties did not stop them. They kept getting stronger through their forties, and now, solid as iron, they step into their sixties. I see this as 'Strength. '

And yes, this is a story of my parents - who I salute for what they endured, what they stood against and for making me who I am. 

Here is to recognising the strength in the ordinary stories and finding that inner strength within yourself. 

By Sharanya Ganesh Kumar

***

The Fine Line 

Strength is not what you think it is. It is not brute force. It is not the clenched jaw or the man who refuses to fall. It is not just resilience. It is knowing when to push and when to let go. Strength is measured in what you carry but also in what you choose to leave behind. Stupidity, however, is the belief that pushing harder will always break through. That refusing to stop is the same as winning. That if you charge the wall enough times, it will give before you do. A man does not learn the difference quickly. He learns it in the bruises, in the wasted fights, in the years spent chasing the wrong things. He learns it when he stands on the wrong hill and realises it was never worth dying on. 

Strength is knowing some battles are meant to be fought. Stupidity is thinking every battle must be won. Strength is the fighter who takes the hit because he knows there's a better moment to strike. The climber who watches the clouds roll in and decides today is not the day. The man who walks away not because he is weak, but because he knows there are bigger things ahead. 

Strength is strategy. Stupidity is impulse. Strength is patience. Stupidity is trying to move mountains when the road around them is just a mile further down.

Strength is the entrepreneur who knows when to pivot, when to adapt, when to step away from something before it takes him down with it. I have stood in that place. I have believed in things too much, fought for them too long, and poured time and energy into ventures that should have been let go long before they collapsed under their own weight. Stupidity was mistaking resilience for refusal, thinking that if I just held on a little longer, it would all turn. Strength was realising that sometimes, no matter how much I push, the world does not move for me. That some doors will not open, no matter how hard I bang on them. That walking away is not the same as giving up. Strength is knowing when to stand, when to bend, and when to break. It is not infinite. It drains, it wears thin. But it does not crumble like stubbornness does. Stupidity is what leaves a man broken at the end of the road, fists bloodied, wondering why the world would not yield to him. 

Strength is the man who still has something left at the end, who knew which fights mattered, which roads led nowhere, and which ones would take him further. Strength is not just power. It is wisdom. It is knowing when to endure, when to resist, and when to walk away. And in the end, it is not about how much you fought but about whether you had enough left to keep going when it mattered most.

By Nitin Arvind

On Instagram as @nitinarvind

***

Editor's Note: 

I want to thank all the writers who responded to this prompt. I loved reading your interpretations, and I'm sure the readers will, too.

For other writers looking for prompts, stay tuned to "Storytelling with Shweta" on Instagram, where I post writing tips, book recommendations and more for aspiring writers or those looking to make the space for writing in their lives. The next writing call will be out in the second week of April 2025. So do stay tuned. 

Till then, keep writing!

Shweta Ganesh Kumar,

Storyteller-in-chief, Inkspire.