Life can be overwhelming. Sometimes it seems that there is no explanation for what is happening because it just seems so terrible. We get caught up in our emotions and how an awful thing should never be happening. What good could possibly be coming from this?
But, what if we changed our perception? What if we took a moment to look back on our life? To ask the same question, but in a different mindset: What good could possibly be coming from this? This question is not asked to make light of the hard time you are in. Rather, it is asked to give you an optimistic mindset and trust the process of life and your resilience.
Blessing in Disguise
A blessing in disguise is something good we are able to take away from our troubles. Some events are easier to find the blessings in than others, but there is always one to be found!
There are countless stories of people who narrowly escaped death, only then to realize what is important to them. The heart attack that caused someone to realize their job was too stressful. The car crash where the true love of their life flashed in front of their eyes. The health diagnosis that promotes a healthy lifestyle change. Maybe the blessing is a new perspective or increased sense of self-worth.
There are also numerous examples of people striving after what they want, only to get the door slammed in their face, but reaching their goal when the time is right nevertheless. Walt Disney was once fired for not being creative enough and had his idea of Mickey Mouse be rejected by over 300 bankers. No, that is not a typo. Over THREE HUNDRED different bankers told Walt Disney Mickey Mouse was ridiculous, yet now Mickey Mouse is a household name. But those hundreds of bankers were not the right one to give Walt the opportunity to make Mickey Mouse come to life, and their rejections were a blessing in disguise.
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”- Walt Disney
So, how do we find the blessing? Through reflection and identifying past blessings. Keep reading to try the exercise for yourself!
Finding Blessings
Find a quiet space for yourself and get a pen and paper before you begin…
1 | Reflect on a few struggles you have had throughout your life. It doesn’t matter if these struggles were decades ago or weeks ago, just list a few for now.
2 | Summarize the struggle into a sentence and write in onto the paper, leaving plenty of space in between each struggle.
3 | Begin to reflect on the effect of the struggle, positively. What good came from your struggle? What lesson did you learn? Take your time, thinking deeply and listing off as many of the positive impacts as possible for every single struggle you listed.
4 | After you complete your list, take a few deep breaths. Reflect and reread what you have written. Realize how much you have not only overcome but how much your struggles have given to you- as blessings in disguise!
Current Struggles
Sometimes we cannot find the blessing in disguise for what we are currently struggling with, and that is okay. Keep in mind that you may not have realized the blessings you just listed while going through those struggles. The blessings may have come to light sometime after your hardship. You know what they say, hindsight is 20/20.
But, the exercise of blessings in disguise is still extremely helpful. The list you created reminds you of your strength and how much you have been able to overcome. It also shows you that the struggles are helping you more than you realize, forming you into the person you are. It reminds you that everything is temporary, even this current struggle will pass. Life is built from the ups and downs. Here is a good representation of this…
“Life is like a piano, the white keys represent happiness and the black show sadness. But as you go through life’s journey, remember that black keys also create music.”-Ehssan
RELATED: Finding the Good in Every Day- Creating Your Happiness Highlights Calendar
Please comment below and tell me what you think of blessings in disguise! If you know someone who could benefit from this article, please show you care and share the bear! Be sure to sign up for my emails and follow on social media to get the most of the positive world of Brightside Bear!
