There aren't any great stories without great trials.

Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter, William Wallace, Elsa, Roadrunner - each of them has to overcome some terrible stuff. Regardless of what medium we're talking about, we see characters struggle in books, movies, plays, religious texts and anywhere else stories are told. If you're going to have a great story, something really terrible has to happen to the characters. More likely, a series of terrible things has to happen before a resolution is warranted.

The difference in the outcome of every story typically revolves around one thing: the response of the character. It's not what happens to them, it's what happens next. It's how they regain their composure and stand to defeat the enemy, outsmart the bad guy or rally the troops in the fight for freedom.

The same is true in our lives - we are going to experience major challenges. The difference between failing or prevailing is in how we react. We can get down on ourselves or we can dust ourselves off and get 'em next time. People don't follow a leader because he never struggles. They follow a leader because he keeps going in spite of the struggles.