Why bad things happen

I had a thought last night as I was attempting to go to sleep (I tried going to bed early, but failed miserably yet again. I should really stop complaining about not getting enough sleep – it’s my own fault!) and I wanted to share it.

As I said in my previous post, I believe that everything that happens to you was meant to happen. No matter what decisions you make in your life, whatever comes out of it was meant to happen to you. I can’t really explain it, but I believe it wholeheartedly. Now, acknowledging that the things that have happened to you in your life were for a reason is the easy part. What’s more difficult is figuring out why these things happened. There’s a reason for everything. I always think about a lyric from one of my favorite songs when I think about this: “I want a reason for the way things have to be.” I think taking the time to reflect and figure out why you experienced certain situations is so important, especially if you’re at an unhappy stage in your life. There’s nothing wrong with taking time to let yourself feel down and question why things have happened to you.

When I deal with bad situations and need to learn why it happened, the number one thing I ask myself is, “What did I learn about myself from this experience?” You can also ask yourself what you learned about someone else, if it involves another person. It depends on what you’re going through, really.

I don’t think you come out of a bad situation fully until you understand why it happened and what positives came out of it. And trust me, there is a positive from EVERY situation, regardless of how bad it is. I can speak from experience, because I’ve learned a lot of things about life and myself through terrible experiences. Even in the most devastating circumstances, I have figured out what good came from it. It can take a long time, but it’s necessary. Everybody deals with this at some point; it’s how you deal with it that affects the outcome. And it’s completely possible to come out on top with every negative situation.

- Kelsey