Does Everything Happen for a Reason?

As most of you know by now, it is in fact a spiritual awakening that brought me to the work I’m doing. And from that perspective, there are reasons why I might - in some context - argue or believe that there is some higher picture about why some of the most unpleasant things happen in this world. It wouldn’t be the same view as - say - an evangelical Christian might argue… but I might argue something along those lines.

That being said, most of the time I would acknowledge how unhelpful such a point of view can be, the potential ‘victim blaming’ elements of it, and the mere challenge of managing to truly work through our Earthly challenges by maintaining such a strong faith in that concept as the foundational motivator to keep going.

So, instead… here’s how I prefer to look at things on the day-to-day. I like to say that…

It may not be true that everything happens for a reason. BUT… if you CHOOSE to learn and grow from the bad things, then they WILL HAVE HAPPENED for a reason.

Do you see the difference here?

I am saying that you create the reason for your challenges and struggles to have happened by using them as the experiences that lead you to strengthen your soul, your morals, your courage, your resolve, and your overall tenacity to be the best version of yourself.

True growth never comes from comfort.

We need challenges to push us to our limits so that we can build the emotional, moral, spiritual and/or physical muscle that we are trying to build. And in that sense, we can view our challenges in one of two ways.

We can see ourselves as the mere victims of our challenges, in which case we slip into the dreaded victim mentality, roll onto our backs and let them wash over us without any sense of agency, being taken by the current and never learning or growing from them.

Or you can see yourself as the hero of your own journey, on a constant mission of personal growth and self-discovery, whereby each of your challenges - whether divinely pruposeful or not - presents you with an opportunity to build muscles that you wouldn’t be able to build without them.

Of course… there are limits to how far we can take this perspective without it becoming distasteful (at the least) or down right insulting (at the worst), but even in those cases… it doesn’t quite mean that it’s necessarily wrong. Just that it’s particularly challenging because the struggles are particularly horrific.

Nonetheless, this is the perspective that I try to maintain about my challenges.

And maintaining that perspective is - in itself - a challenge.

But it can keep you afloat when the waters get rough.