Make the Most of It!
I absolutely don’t believe that everything happens for a reason. Where does one get this impression? Is it merely a coping mechanism? For instance, if a child is hit by a car and is thus killed, one could say to the parents everything happens for a reason, but where’s the reason in it for the child himself? Things simply happen outside of our control – in which we don’t understand – and we must deal with it. A quick remark that “everything happens for a reason” doesn’t cut it. Simply put, we can make the most of the situation that we’re facing or we can make it worse with negative thoughts and actions. If something happens and it appears to be bad it’s simply an opportunity to dig deeper, grow stronger, test ourselves and learn from it. Therefore, adversity is an opportunity that should be dealt with constructively; the alternative is destructive thinking/behavior and that is pointless to those who depend on you. On the other hand, good fortune is an opportunity as well (but of a different stripe of course) and it holds just as many valuable lessons if we’re wise enough to see them. In other words, good fortune is just as hard to handle in many cases as is misfortune. There’s plenty of lottery winners who can attest to that (80% of lottery winners file bankruptcy within 5 years) and perhaps ultra-successful Tiger Woods (as well as many other athletes) may have something to share on that as well. Wherever you find yourself and whatever the situation, there are lessons to be learned and challenges to be negotiated – so make the most of them.
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