Originally posted on Facebook HERE
No matter how we live our lives, or what our circumstances are, life will always give us challenges. Nothing is ever constant. Everything is always moving. Time waits for nothing. We will encounter people and situations that will aggravate us. Or sadden us. Or hurt us in some way. We will have to deal with death. There will be people you don’t like very much that you’ll be forced to deal with, whether it’s a family member, work, or some other organization you’re involved with. There will be things that will happen to yourself or a loved one regarding health issues. No matter what you do, you can’t avoid being challenged. In my line of work as a financial advisor, I see it every day. Properties destroyed by natural disasters. Death. A grim health diagnosis. A failing parent or grandparent. Dealing with family members during an inheritance can be extremely challenging sometimes. There will be challenges. Can we look at these challenges as opportunities for growth? It’s not always so easy to do. Say you lose everything in a house fire, maybe even a pet. What a terrible situation to be in, right? I know more than one person who has had to deal with that. I can’t even imagine it. All the thoughts that have to run through your head… Where do we go? How will we live? What have we lost? Will I still have to pay my mortgage? And hundreds of others, I’m sure. In that moment it has to be nearly impossible to see or make sense of anything. So many challenges work like this, right? Your life is in total limbo - that whole feeling of uncertainty that often goes with it. Sometimes it might take years before you can look back and see what overall effect a catastrophe has had on your life. Maybe you never can. Why did she/he have to die that way? Why would God put me in this situation? Why is this person in my life? Sometimes, the greatest teachers in life are the things we go through that we wish had never happened at all. Why did I abuse drugs and alcohol for fifteen years? At the time I was thrown in jail for my 2nd DUI - and was in the middle of a breakup and a new relationship - and I had no car…. I had no idea where it would lead. I was in limbo. When I got the call years before that that my father had passed away… I was in limbo. And through the years I’ve learned to train myself to look for the lesson in every circumstance that challenges me. From the slow driver in the fast lane to the person you’d rather avoid but can’t seem to break away from to the big, scary things like health and life/death issues… why is this happening to me? What is the lesson? Is there a silver lining here?… I’ve seen major life challenges totally change people in my life. Starting with my father, who was let go from a job he worked at for 42 years. Not sure how the pension was setup back then, but… I do remember he got $9/mo sent to him quarterly. $27 every three months after 42 years with one company. Ouch. It changed him. He loved to work. He became bitter and resentful. Especially on the days the checks came. But - he maybe missed a golden opportunity as well. He did start a business that didn’t quite work out before he finally retired. But he held onto the negatives the rest of his life. We get to choose how we look at things. In the moment it’s hard to see what could possibly be a benefit from any catastrophe. But you’ll never find the gold hidden in the ashes of despair unless you look for it. I wish you well on your journey today, and every day. Peace, health and prosperity begin with you. May you find the silver lining hidden with your challenges today, and always.
