What if it was all meant to be?

I think the most important question facing humanity is, “Is the universe a friendly place?” –Albert Einstein

I recently had a series of clients and friends who have had, shall we say, circumstances they would not have chosen.

Often as they recount the situations, they say things like, “Why is this happening to me?” or “Oh no, I cannot have this now. What will I do?” The interesting thing is, once I hear back from them several days, weeks or months later, they often tell me insights they have had, new wisdom that has shown up, or bad habits that got broken, all because of the unwanted circumstances. What if it is all meant to be?

As we begin the new year, see if you can pause a bit and see the theme or trajectory of your life looking backward.

For instance, when I was 18, I broke 3 bones, one every six months. During that time, it dawned on me that there might be a message to slow down a bit and live more thoughtfully. Then I had a period of dealing with two different kinds of cancers, both of which I fully recovered from. During THAT time, it occurred to me that I had been taking my physical body for granted, and it might be wise to develop a relationship with it.

And now, as I look back at all of that, plus career changes

and ultimately finding a wonderful man to marry, and work that is deeply satisfying, I can see that all those unwanted circumstances were essential to the whole journey, not something that was a mistake. How would we interact with “unwanted” circumstances if we considered they might be FOR something?

I do not mean we are predestined for suffering, not at all.

In fact, I know we are designed as human beings to enjoy life AT ALL TIMES. If you can allow that, it is possible to be at peace in the middle of unwanted circumstances, their place in a whole life might begin to show up.

Here in California, we are experiencing round after round of storms, bringing flooding rains and deep snow, depending on the elevation.

Many of us lost power, including our own homes. We were without electrical power for 17 hours, the longest power loss I have ever had in this house. My husband and I commented when we finally had power restored that there was a certain graceful orchestration we were part of. We found it surprising, annoying, and then interesting to experience the quiet of a power outage, as well as the ingenuity that was at our fingertips. (Who knew I could groom a dog with a headlamp on, and the dog thought it was fun?)

So, make 2023 the year that instead of thinking life is working against you, see if you can consider it is always working on your behalf and is, in fact, friendly.

And allow your mind to soften, and reflect. Then let me know what you come up with!