A Surprising History Of National Wear Your Pearls Day

1Recognize Your Challenges

Roadblocks. Obstacles. Trials. Seasons. Whatever you want to call them, periods of suffering are a very real facet of our lives. The challenges you face will throw some serious dirt on your life and make every step feel like a chore. Maybe it’s a physical injury. Maybe it's emotional pain or loss. Maybe it’s a person in your life who’s difficult to get along with. In any case, it’s important to be aware of your challenges and embrace them.

2Rise in Spite of Obstacles

Our challenges, like pearls, are all unique. Each of them stem from a single grain of coarse, irritating sand, festering for a long period of time before transforming into something beautiful. As we adapt to the challenges in our lives, we become more and more resourceful. We start finding new ways to protect ourselves. More importantly, we start to grow. And over time, we add more and more “layers” to ourselves, just like freshwater pearls.

The tragedies of our lives create a special kind of beauty. Once we recognize this and resist the urge to devalue ourselves, we can finally rise in spite of our obstacles. Even better, we can celebrate our victories with others.

3Don Your Pearls

Celebrating the irritating “dirt” in our lives starts by showing the world the value of our trials. As we recognize the collective beauty of our “pearls,” we can better understand each others’ lives, perspectives, and strengths. We have the ability to share the results of our victories, the beautiful bookends of a job well done, with all those we care about. So, gear up, throw on your favorite set of pearls, and let the world see your true value.

If you’re interested in joining in on National Wear Your Pearls Day, don’t feel like you need to wear the real deal. Real or fake, white or pink, around your neck or around your wrist, donning a set of pearls is the only thing you need to do to celebrate victories over trials.

You are not your challenges. The suffering you have experienced (or are continuing to experience) is slowly transforming into something else. Take heart! What you have overcome is inspiring — and it’s time to show the world.