When Life Changes Suddenly

Adapted from my book, LISTEN: Trusting Your Inner Voice in Times of Crisis

“A setback can lead us to a better place — if we just let it.”

-Anne Wilson Schaef

Are you in the midst of a perceived failure? Perhaps you’ve been laid off from your job, you’re on the brink of bankruptcy, or you’re going through an acrimonious divorce. While you may wish otherwise, these situations are painful and difficult. They require that we face our deepest fears of inadequacy, lack and failure. It’s often during these difficult times that we turn to God and deepen our faith and spiritual connection. Author Paul Brunton states it this way: “When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.”

Tough times never last. When you are experiencing a setback you fear you’ll be in it forever. However, generally speaking, most of life’s painful disappointments are relatively short-lived. It’s important to remember that we all experience failure at one time or another in our lives. As actor Mickey Rooney put it, “You always pass failure on your way to success.” Remember also that failure is an event or situation you find yourself in. You’re only in danger when you begin describing yourself as the failure.