
Talk about simple yet profound! This is really a secret to an amazing life. In life we will all experience hurt. There is no way around it. No matter how dedicated to living an amazing life we are, sometimes things just won’t go our way. What then? It is then that we approach a figurative ‘fork in the road’. We have a choice in front of us. One way will not only prohibit our self-improvement, it will actually lead to our decline. It will keep us stagnant. In a world that is moving and changing so quickly, being stagnant will mean being left behind. It will also add considerable mental, emotional and physical stress. Stress in all three areas, who would want that?
The other path in the fork in the road can lead us to a far different result. It can propel our growth in a far more rapid manner than before the hurt. It can not only not add any additional stress, it can transform the initial stress of the hurt into gratitude. This reduction in stress will lead to a greater sense of inner peace, a stronger immune system and better relationships. The rapid growth will lead to a feeling of accomplishment and a better relationship…with ourselves! Less stress, more joy and growth? Better relationships? Who wouldn’t want all of that.
In case it is not obvious. One path is focusing on the hurt, the other is finding the lesson. When we find the lesson in the hurt, we transform something that brought us down into something that can propel us forward. This is huge. Anytime you can take a negative and turn it into a positive, you win. This is one of those ways. You will reduce your stress and increase your feeling of accomplishment. I cannot count the times when I say to myself, or out loud, “That sucked, but it helped me become the person I am today.”
Today take the challenges of life and mine them for the lessons. The payoff will be nothing short of priceless. Instead of being stuck in the quagmire of hurt and sadness, you will be using them as stepping stones to move yourself, and your life forward!