I believe strongly in this saying, “Whatever happens, it’s for the good“. Something I learnt through personal experiences.
And yet, when something untoward happens, my mind first races to the negative side…
Why did this happen with me? How did I let it happen? What did I do wrong? And many such questions.
This weekend, when I missed my return flight from a longish business trip, it wasn’t a happy feeling. I felt like an idiot.
While I sorted out the mess and got myself booked again on another flight for the next day, my mind continued to swarm with negative thoughts. When I called up home to tell them of the mishap, it felt so bad I wanted to scream at myself.
But then, I calmed myself down. Sat down for a while and took some time to make peace with the fact that I could have done better.
In my sleep, I must have dreamt away those thoughts, for when I woke up, I felt neutral.
It took me longer to get back home but on the way I met a couple of good people, got some good me time at the right waking hours, and also got some work done.
Most importantly, I realized why the mishap had come to pass, and identified corrective actions, so that I do not let something similar happen again.
Maybe there are some other lessons or good that I don’t realize now or haven’t come true but will be revealed with time.
This has happened with me in the past too. I didn’t succeed in my business when I had put in so much effort. I didn’t get through a competitive exam when I wanted to pass badly. I had to give away my childhood dream due to an injury. But each time, I realized that mishap had made me stronger. And the future had in store for me better things.
That’s why some ask us to ‘be positive!’ Or you may call it ‘looking at the brighter side’…
It’s inspiring to see how you turned the challenging situation of a missed flight into an opportunity to learn from a negative event. We all say to remain positive or look on the bright side, but it’s hard to do. You did it, and that’s really great!