What to Do When Life Isn’t Working Out the Way You Want It To

When life isn’t working the way you thought it would, sometimes you have to learn to appreciate what life is giving you that you didn’t expect (and maybe didn’t even want).

It’s raining today.   Not a belligerent, angry rain, but rather a soft, soaking rain accompanied by a
muffled rumble of thunder every now and then.

The wind is making its presence known in subtle, gentle ways as the tree limbs sway back and forth, each dancing its own distinctive dance.   The air is delicious and I relish each deep breath my lungs take in. Looking out my window, I get a sensation of deep peace. It’s a perfect rain.

There’s a life lesson here, I’m sure of it.

You realize by now that while I’m discussing rain, it’s just a metaphor, right?

Frankly, not that long ago I would not have appreciated a day like today.  In fact, I would have been utterly irritated by it.

I used to look at all rainy days with a certain degree of contempt.  They were inconvenient.  Traffic was worse.   Just getting in and out of the car was a challenge.   Even if there was an umbrella handy – which usually was not the case – I invariably got my clothes and shoes wet, which meant sitting in dampness until they finally dried.  To top it off, to my eyes gray skies were flat-out depressing.

I looked at rainy days as “less than days” – days you endured but were less than what you expected from life.  I wanted to see the shining sun every day.  Sure – I knew the impracticality of never-ending sunshine … I knew that rain was essential for life.  Still, I preferred that it only rain when I was fast asleep when it wouldn’t inconvenience me in any way.

Now substitute the word “rain” for the words “life challenges” and the life lesson presents itself.

Rain is essential for growth.  Life challenges are essential for growth.

Rain is necessary … all life depends on it.  Challenges are necessary because without them one could never fully appreciate the beauty of life.

Rain doesn’t always arrive when it’s convenient, nor do life challenges.

Rain is nourishing … it is a giver of life.  Successfully facing your challenges opens up incredible pathways to new life … it gives you opportunities you would never experience otherwise.

Sometimes rain comes gently and sometimes it does not.  Isn’t that just like life?

Today is a perfect rainy day, though I realize not all rainy days are so perfect.  Too much rain and the floods come.    Too many challenges and you are incapable of handling them all by yourself.  It is in these times that one must rely on faith and grace and the goodwill of others to help you survive and regain your footing on dry ground.    More times than not all these grand gifts of life arrive on time.

When life isn’t working the way you thought it would, consider the gifts in what is showing up in your life.

Don’t resist your rainy days.  Make peace with them.  Appreciate the gifts they offer.

When you’re busy and focused on getting things done your way, on your schedule, it’s frustrating when situations arise that force a change of plans.  You may not plan for rain in your life … you cannot always predict when it will arrive … but be assured, it will arrive and you have no control over how or when.    What you have control over is how you respond when it arrives.

The “rain” in your life offers gifts.  Slow down … step back … take a good, long look at what the rain is doing for you.

Appreciate the life-enriching gifts that the rainy day offers.  Just as you are grateful for the sun, be grateful for the rain, as both are vital for your growth … both are givers of life.

                                                ~ by J. Marie Novak, Founder, Believe And Create

FOR DISCUSSION:   Has “rain” has come into your life that you originally thought was a problem, but which turned out to be a blessing in disguise?  Share your story in the SPEAK YOUR MIND comment box below.