“Sometimes, certain of God’s blessings arrive by shattering all of the windows.”
– Paulo Coelho
When I first read this quote not too long ago, it immediately resonated with me. What a beautiful, yet simple, way to articulate an experience so many of us have had. Who among us can’t recall at least one moment when we were convinced that the world was ending, that a great catastrophe had befallen us from which we would surely never recover. Over time, we came to view that challenging time as a “blessing in disguise.” Without a doubt, we would never have opted to not get the job, have our soulmate break up with us, fail to gain admission or underestimate our competition. With time comes insight, as well as alternate paths, which we follow and find success, fulfillment, and – dare we admit – even joy. Not only does the world continue to spin, but we find that we are actually grateful for the disappointment. We wouldn’t be who we are if we had been granted our once fundamental and fervent wish – hadn’t found that we could in fact, endure through moments of pain.
These days, many of us are being pushed to our edge, and are searching for ways to persist through challenges and disappointments for ourselves and our loved ones that we may have thought we’d never experience in our lifetimes. While as we all know, nothing is permanent and “this too shall pass,” ask yourself if there is opportunity here to create something positive. Step carefully over the glass, but don’t miss this rare chance to consider the view through the window. You may find that you like what you see.