When things don’t go the way we intend we can get sucked into a cycle of sadness, depression, fear, or anxiety, replaying questions like “how could this happen to me?”, “what did I do wrong?”, or “am I not enough?”, etc.. No matter how (in)significant the incident may be, the questions are always the same.
It’s all about perspective. If you believe that everything happens for you, it will open your eyes to something new, to teach you a lesson, or allow you to gain a new perspective. If I were to raise the question, “last time things didn’t go as planned, did it end up being okay?”. The answer will typically be a resounding “yes”. You’re still here, you’re alive, you’re seeking growth, and you’re reading this…
Next time an event or situation does not go as planned, ask yourself a set of different questions, such as the following: What can I learn from this? What exactly can I improve for next time? How can I use this experience to help someone else? What opportunities can I now take advantage of that I may have missed before?
In the same way that your actions and circumstances can influence your thoughts, your thoughts can influence your actions and circumstances. Choose wisely.