It has long been said that it’s not what happens to you, but how you react that matters. Over the years, I have gained perspective from living through some very tough times and truly believe this to be true.
My Guest Contributor this month, Dr. John Demartini, a well-known author and one of the leading authorities on human behavior and personal development, wrote a wonderful article about seeing the hidden blessings in challenging situations. I think we can all use a bit of a pep talk now in that area.
With the family, May 2019. Rachel Meyers, Michael Meyers, Alex Meyers
I know this is a stressful time for each and every one of us! In the midst of all the Coronavirus craziness, I am striving to find the positive in all of this. One of the biggest gifts for me is having our family all together again. My nest is temporarily full with both of my adult children home from University for the rest of the school year. Yes, it can get crowded with the four of us all trying to WFH, but on the flip side, we are learning to live together as four adults, to respect each other’s workspace and take turns with the cooking and chores. I am consciously choosing to look at the big picture; at what a gift this unexpected time together is.
Read Dr. Demartini’s article below for inspiration regarding how to face a crisis. One of my favorite lines from the article is “Nature does not deliver crisis without opportunity, or misfortune without blessing.” What will your hidden blessing be when all of this levels out?
Dr. John Demartini
“Pure wisdom is the instantaneous knowing that each crisis in life is indeed a blessing”
When was the last time you experienced a crisis? Did it seem like it was the end of the world? Did you feel helpless, frustrated, burned-out or just down and depressed? Did you say to yourself, “This is the last straw. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! This has got to stop. I can’t go another day like this.”
Everyone experiences moments where outer circumstances appear to be an overwhelming crisis. For many, these circumstances dominate and rule their lives. These crises leave lasting scars unless they are recognized as truly being blessings. When the worst crisis becomes your greatest blessing, you heal. Nature does not deliver crisis without opportunity or misfortune without blessing.
Some people have crises that drag out for years. Others seem to nip their crises in the bud almost immediately. It’s not the outer circumstances that necessarily create the crises. While they may elicit the crises, it is a person’s reaction that actually turns circumstances into crises.
The length of time it takes for you to recognize your outer crisis as a blessing, correlates with your degree of wisdom.
Some misfortunes don’t reveal their blessing easily, while others are recognized immediately. Hidden within all misfortunes are the seeds of an equal but opposite fortune.
In the mid 1980s, hundreds of thousands of people were let go or laid off from their jobs. Some of these people were left without income, some without other career opportunities and some, ultimately, without their families.
At first sight, this may have been perceived as a crisis, however, today many of those same people have undergone an in-depth soul-searching and re-evaluation of their lives, only to discover that they genuinely had a dream in their hearts to be, do and have something more than what they were previously experiencing and accepting.
Other people have tapped into a more profound purpose for their life than what they were allowing, and are now making their meaningful dreams come true. They are now doing exactly what they always loved to do but never had the guts to do until the crisis occurred.
A crisis is ultimately a blessing.
They are the flip side of the coin of life. Many people have been temporarily devastated by broken relationships only to discover at some later time that their supposed misfortune was a blessing. Their very loss was their ultimate gain.
“Whenever a door shuts, a window opens”
The longer you live, the more this seemingly paradoxical relation becomes evident and the more you see the correlation between past crises and future blessings. Through time and experience, your reactions subside and more patient actions result.
Since blessings are seeded in crisis and it seems quite easy to be thankful for blessings, why not move wisely ahead and assume that any perceived crisis is a blessing? Be thankful for its strengthening qualities. Why not act thankfully instead of reacting pitifully?
As long as outer circumstances run your life, you can expect a life filled with crises. But as soon as you take charge of your reactions and change them into thankful actions, your life will begin to flow.
Be thankful.
You won’t be confronted with a crisis you can’t handle. Be thankful.
The next time you’re confronted with what appears to be a crisis, just ask yourself, “What is the hidden blessing?”
The deeper you look, the easier you will find it. When you do, you can say “good-bye” to its corresponding frustration, anger and depression.
No tree stood strong without the wind.
No group stood strong without its heretic.
No person can be strong without a challenge.
So be thankful for yours!
Click HERE for more information on Dr. Demartini and follow him on Instagram! He is also a best-selling author, so if you’re looking to learn more you can click HERE for books he’s written on the subject of health and wellness.
Shop Dr. Demartini’s best-sellers below!
The Values Factor by Dr. John Demartini
SHOP The Values Factor by Dr. John Demartini
The Breakthrough Experience by Dr. John Demartini
SHOP The Breakthrough Experience by Dr. John Demartini
ABOUT DR JOHN DEMARTINI
Dr. Demartini is considered one of the leading authorities on human behaviour, leadership and wealth building. He has presented along-side Sir Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Stephen Covey, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Steve Wosniak and many others. He has been a welcomed guest on Larry King Live, CNN, CNBC, is a contributor to Oprah Magazine and hundreds of other magazines, and featured in the international phenomena The Secret. He has been filmed and appeared in nearly 40 documentaries such The Opus, The Compass, Spirit 2 Power, Overfed and Under Nourished, Leap and Oh My God alongside celebrities such as Hugh Jackman, Seal, Ringo Star, David Copperfield and Bob Geldof, and is the author of 12 books published in 36 different languages. He has produced over 75 CDs and DVDs covering subjects such as personal development, relationships, wealth, education and business. Learn more at his website, www.drdemartini.com.