“Remember that not getting what you want
is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” –Dalai Lama
Life is nothing
if not complex and unpredictable. Just when we think we have it all together,
got it organized, life can unexpectedly go sideways with the appearance of
trouble in one form or another. It doesn’t particularly matter what kind of
trouble it is, what matters is that it often unsettles and de-stabilizes,
leaving us feeling bewildered, fearful, angry and lost—among other things.
It is tempting
in these moments to berate ourselves or blame others for the presence of
problems—why didn’t I see this coming? Why didn’t they … ?
But, condemning
ourselves or others for the presence of problems is not only uncharitable,
but overlooks the fact that trouble of any kind is a wake-up call for course
correction—a signpost leading us in the direction of personal growth and deeper
sense of fulfillment.
Meaning that,
whatever storm has blown into our life and rearranged a few things, may be a
gift in disguise. Because let’s face it, we don’t always know what is best for
us (read more on this HERE). Being limited to our own (often faulty) vision of life is not necessarily
what is in our actual best interest.
Sometimes what
we want and what we might need are two very different things.
So, take heart.
Having troubles isn’t necessarily a sign that you’ve failed at life, it is a
sign that you have a life and that you’re human. They exist, potentially, as
gifts of grace leading us toward what we might need, and merely require our
faith in their messages and compassion for all the difficulty we experience in
accepting their presence, and managing them well.
I would never
wish trouble on anyone, nor advise anyone to go looking for it, but when it
visits I believe it is wise to look closely, to listen, to be patient and see
what may appear in the way of a message—information which can be used to course
correct and take us in a new, adventurous, productive and wonderful direction.
If the Dalai
Lama has met with all the considerable trouble and woe that he has, and can
make the statement above, maybe we can find inspiration enough to set aside any
tendency to feel sorry for ourselves, and summon the courage to face our own troubles
and woes with a greater sense of personal responsibility, humility, courage and
hope.
It all begins
with love and ends with love—for ourselves, for others and for the
circumstances which test our courage, tenacity, patience and perseverance.
