Years ago, I had a conversation with a Dutch journalist about people fleeing war and the challenges they face when trying to build a new life in a foreign country. She said something I have never forgotten:“I have no problem cleaning bathrooms if I have to, as long as it covers my basic needs.” She said it calmly and confidently, as though she were stating an obvious fact that did not require further discussion.

Although our conversation was about a particular situation, I now see her words as an example that applies to many other parts of life.
Life can take something important from you without warning. Money, social status, or something far more precious. Suddenly, you may find yourself facing choices you never imagined having to make.

Having to rebuild your life from the beginning is not an experience limited to people fleeing war. It can happen to anyone, even in the most stable countries.

It is never easy, either emotionally or practically, especially when the loss is significant. Some people fall and manage to stand again. Others remain where they fell, not because they lack strength or resources, but because they no longer believe that small beginnings can lead anywhere. Or perhaps because they are still waiting for the “perfect opportunity.”

With time, I have come to believe that the worst thing life can take from you is not money or opportunity, but your belief in simple truths. These so-called clichés may sound naïve or overly simple, but they often contain something essential to survival:

“Hard work pays off.”
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

To strive, to work, and to sweat. To begin from anywhere, and to believe, not merely hope, that one small step could become a turning point.
To wash dishes, work in a grocery store or café, and then see where the road might lead.

Those who never rise again do not always lack strength or intelligence. Sometimes, they have suffered an inner collapse that leaves them believing they are too old, too experienced, or too established in their social position to begin again.

If you cannot accept being a beginner, you cannot truly learn. Every new beginning, whether it involves a skill, a language, or rebuilding an entire life, requires patience and humility.

Survival does not always require brilliance. Sometimes, it requires only the willingness to begin again, whenever necessary and without waiting for perfect conditions. To me, that is one of our greatest tools for survival.

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