January 2010

Why struggle?  Is it WORTH IT?

I like to think that in every experience there is a gift.  Let’s stop thinking that a perceived negative experience is negative.  Maybe it is a blessing in disguise.  Maybe it is a means to learn something new, heal something old, or to release and embrace the new.

I believe there is a gift in every ‘negative’ experience.  If you can embrace the persona of a witness who sees your life but does not get embroiled in it, you can start seeing the gifts.  Once you see them, it is easier to receive and acknowledge them.

This is a new way of thinking, because most of us feel let down, betrayed, frustrated, or angry when what we expected or wanted does not work out.  It feels negative and we struggle trying to fight it and change it.  Did this experience really lead to something negative?  Probably not!  It could just mean that your expectations were not met.  Let’s consider this - what if your expectations were not for the higher good, or what if they could have hindered you in the long run?  This type of understanding or perspective usually only surfaces in retrospect, because then the bigger picture is easier to see.  Let’s look at some examples.

You may want and ask for a loved one to enter your life that does not materialize.  Then, your life may bring you some type of disaster, which forces you to take on a new job or move to a new location.  You are upset.  You feel betrayed.  You feel depressed.  Then a month or so into your new life you meet a person that you instantly click with.  You would have never met this person without your perceived ‘negative’ experience that forced you to change your surroundings. 

Upon realization you immediately praise God for the situation that brought this new person into your life.  Although you formerly felt betrayed, you now see all the pieces of the puzzle and a wonderful new life that is unfolding in front of you.

There is a gift in every illness, in every disaster, in every loss, and in every outward misfortune, but only if you take the time to recognize it.  It may not come all at once, the gift may not be fully revealed until several years past the occurrence, but trust that there is a hidden gift.

If you hold onto the knowledge that there is a gift somewhere in every ‘negative’ experience, you can save yourself the stress, depression, and lack of hope, which becomes the focus with this type of experience.  By eliminating this, you can improve your health and general well-being. 

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I chose not to go to the negative.  As I stepped into my healing journey, I became grateful for the gift this diagnosis represented.  Without it, I would not have done the deep work of clearing out issues from past lives and my current life.  As I did my inner work, I felt lighter, brighter, and transformed.  Despite my diagnosis, I felt great.  Without this ‘negative’ diagnosis, I would never have done this and would have never felt this way.  I am grateful for it, for the experience, and for the result.

Next time you are faced with a perceived ‘negative’ experience, whether large or small, step back and ask, “What is the gift in this for me?”  The ‘negative’ could be life changing and might even lead you to what you wanted all along.

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