Why Did This Happen To Me ?

Everything happens for a reason.

I truly believe that.  I am not suggesting that our destiny is already decided.  I believe in the power of free agency and that we control our own choices in every situation.  But I do believe the consequences of the choices we make have the capacity to teach us great lessons.  And often, those lessons are the main reason something happened to us.

How many times in your life have you found yourself in a situation where you had some prior experience to refer back to when faced with a difficult moment?
 - Perhaps a friend comes to you feeling sorrow after mistreating another friend, and you remember when you had a similar experience.  In that moment, you are the perfect angel who can help succor your friend.  Through personal experience you can help guide and direct their next actions, so the experience is less stressful than it otherwise might be.


"Those WERE the droids
I was looking for!"

 - You find yourself in a new role at work and feel overwhelmed by all you have to learn to assimilate to the new position.  But then you remember when this has happened before, and seemingly all of a sudden your mind is filled with examples of things you did to make a successful transition in prior situations.  Now you have an action plan to follow and it doesn't have to feel as overwhelming.

The person who benefits most from your prior experience could be anyone you come in contact with in the future, including your own future self.  The trick, and one I'm still trying to learn this myself, is to find a way to be positive about what you are "dealing with" or "learning" during those times when life feels so hard.  Recognize that somewhere down the road, this current experience is going to be a strength for you, or someone else, in ways you will be so grateful for at that time.


Song Of The Day:
Today's song is "The Reason" performed by Hoobastank.  The title, and lyrics if you're feeling creative, fits perfectly with today's post.  Perhaps we can all help one another to be better at contemplating how our future selves (or future friends) will benefit from things we are learning right now.  If I figure it out, I'll be sure to share how to do that ... and then this post will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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