Some of us belief that life is random—that things happen on a natural course and there is no purpose or no plan. Others of us believe that everything is very structured and everything has a purpose and someone who is dictating what happens all the time. Still others of us have a more moderate view of the way life works—regardless of your personal philosophy, I do think there are constant lessons offered up that are ours for the learning. Even the most painful and chaotic situations can have nuggets of learning opportunities tucked inside.
Getting through a rough patch is seldom easy, but it can seem to make more sense if we ask ourselves whatlesson or lessons are being offered up? Whether it is accidental, random, or served up just for us—the lessons are there, the learning opportunities are there and the chance to expand and grow is there as well.
Sometimes the lesson is simple—more patience or learning how to get more organized. Other times it may be one of those ever-repeating lessons (for me patience is one of those, as is forgiveness, unconditional love, etc.). There are then those challenging adventures where we may not even realize what we learned or gained from it until months or years later when the dust has settled. At the time, it seems like it takes all we have just to get through it—let alone try to find some meaning in it. Natural disasters, war, and horrendous random acts of violence come to mind when I think of these huge life-altering challenges.
Asking yourself what the lesson might be or what you can learn from what you are going through can be a good way of focusing on growth and getting through instead of getting bogged down in self-pity or stuck feeling the victim.