Sometimes we compare where we are to where we want to be. We strive for better jobs, healthier relationships, more accomplishments. We put time and effort into them, and sometimes it can feel like there’s a brick wall that we can’t break through. It can make us question ourselves or even the Creator.
"The Creator knows what our souls need in order to grow."
We might blame ourselves for the decisions we’ve made or the circumstances that have led us where we are. When we dwell on the past, we live with regret, and when we worry about the future, we live in fear. Living in the present means understanding there is a purpose to the challenges we face.
Here are 3 reasons why you are exactly where you are meant to be:
1. To learn a lesson.
We’ve all heard expressions like “every raincloud has a silver lining,” but when we are going through a particularly hard time, that isn’t always what we want to hear! The truth is, there really is a bright side to every challenge. When we are faced with something difficult, it is a sign that the Creator is trying to tell us something really valuable.
The Creator knows what our souls need in order to grow. We learn some of those lessons through prayer, spiritual work, and the support of others, but sometimes the Creator needs to send us a wakeup call, and that can seem like an unpleasant experience! We get so caught up in negative feelings of regret, guilt, sadness, or anger that we often don’t take the time to listen to what the Creator is trying to tell us.
Instead of blaming others or cursing your bad luck, try looking internally. What can you learn from this situation? What could you be doing differently? How could this experience help you in the future? In other words, look for the lesson! You aren’t in this situation by chance.
2. To help you grow.
Learning the lesson is only the first step. In order to move on from a painful process, we need to put the lesson into action. We may know what we are supposed to do, but can we put in the effort required to make those changes in our lives?
The Creator repeatedly puts challenges in front of us as opportunities for us to use the lessons we have learned. Where someone might look at a mountain as a giant obstacle in their way, a climber would see an exciting challenge – a chance to put their skills, training, and hard work to the test! The same is true of our challenges in life. We can choose to view them as overwhelming problems or as opportunities to prove to ourselves and to the Creator how much we have grown.
Look for the patterns in your life. Do you consistently fall for the wrong type of person? Do you tend to lose friends over petty arguments? Do you constantly fight with your boss, no matter how many times you change jobs? The Creator shows us similar scenarios again and again to give us the opportunity to break the vicious cycle. Only once we have learned our lesson and put it into motion can we move on.
3. To experience lasting fulfillment.
Suppose a good friend of yours gave you a thousand-dollar check out of the blue, for no reason other than because they value your friendship. You would probably feel incredibly grateful and lucky to have such a great friend. Then, imagine the next week they give you another thousand-dollar check. And the week after, another check. And so on for several months. After a while, you would start to feel guilty and undeserving. Maybe you would start to feel like you owed them something. How could you ever repay them? You might even start to resent them!
The same is true with the blessings the Creator sends us. It is much more fulfilling when we earn those blessings through our spiritual work. Though we might find temporary fulfillment through immediate gratification, our challenges help us find true, lasting fulfillment. Struggling to make ends meet helps us appreciate our money. Loneliness helps us appreciate our friends and relationships.
Without the challenge of earning the Light of the Creator, our souls would never be satisfied!
Remember that the situation you are facing is personally designed for you by the Creator. Your mistakes, losses, and problems, are all blessings in disguise. You are right where you are meant to be, but that doesn’t mean you are meant to stay frozen in time! You are meant to move on, and the power is in your hands. Through looking for the hidden lessons and making real changes to your behavior, you can earn the lasting fulfillment from the Light of the Creator.
