My son was excited to play college football but a freak accident changed everything.
After just about three weeks on campus, he suffered a major knee injury in a freak accident at practice. He had been waiting for years to play college ball and had made several sacrifices to get there.
At practice, it took just one incident to change everything.
He tore his ACL and meniscus before he was ever able to play in a game.
Is this a good or a bad thing?
Many might think it was a bad thing. And certainly in the moment, he did too. But... the truth is it could be the best thing that may ever happen to him. I truly don’t know how his story will play out but I do know that when major setbacks come, there is the potential for major benefits.
One of the laws of thought on this is the Law of Polarity.
Simply put, for every bad experience there is an equal or greater amount of good found in the same experience.
Crazy… I know.
When you are faced with something challenging, try looking for the good- I challenge you. There is good there and likely more than you will ever see.
I can take every life and business setback I have ever had and find the good in it.
It took me years to be part of the breeding community and have breeders willing to work with me. Some flat out rejected me and made unfounded and untrue assumptions about me. I was on the brink of giving up.
Now I know the challenges that other new breeders may face and I have solutions that could help them with those challenges.
Losing kittens/puppies is one of the hardest things about what I do. Some we know are probably on borrowed time from birth but others can be a shock.
Both can leave me crying for days.
The opposite side of death is birth. What incredible joy I have from playing with kittens and cherishing them as they grow from day 1 to 16 weeks when they go to their new homes. Many of the top highlights of my day involve the pets in our home.
And one of the most amazing things about pets is that they can give each of us a mental health boost.
Pets can help us stay grounded in the present, connected to something outside of ourselves and give us an awareness of a greater purpose. They can teach us about ourselves, share unconditional love and be a constant companion.
All of that helps our mental health.
Mental health issues are something no one wants. I say that from personal experience - and yet I have seen plenty in my life. From my brother taking his life, the suffering I have witnessed in my children (adopted and biological), and the dark and debilitating struggle with depression myself, there has been much pain and bleakness in my life.
However, through that I am so much more grateful for the good times in my life. I have learned how to manage my own depression and anxiety and hope to help my children and others with theirs. I am grateful I understand the pain and can stand by others so they do not have to be alone.
My passion for emotional support animals was born from these experiences.
Can you see it? There is hope in your worst moments.
There is good in the hardest things you have ever gone through. That’s why I encourage people to look for that good. That act of looking for the blessings in the pain and sorrow will help you achieve your life and business goals faster.
It provides a mental resilience that will help you get through any blocks.
JK Rowling said “The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.”
I feel like a cheesy song lyric should go here about soaring on the wings of eagles or listen to you roar. Regardless- don’t give up when tough things come your way.
They are the beginning of something equal or greater in good to come.
PS Do you believe that every problem has an answer? I do! Check out my next post to learn more.