It All Serves

There are some experiences I would rather do without.  Seriously.  Need examples?  Well, I’m not a big fan of feeling “under the gun”, no matter what the cause; I could do without pain in my world; and really, sleepless nights can go the way of the dodo bird in my opinion – I’d rather have some good, solid sleep each and every night, thank you very much.  And yet, even as I hold these thoughts in this moment, I am fully aware that I am speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek; after all, I do know that it all serves.  Even the stuff I’d rather not have.

I’m certain that if you look back in your life at seemingly painful experiences — or even the not-necessarily-painful-but-still-uncomfortable ones — you’ll fully acknowledge some learning, some insight, some gift that came out of it, even though you couldn’t see it at the time.  I feel compelled to draw a childbirth comparision.  Any woman who’s given birth knows that there are times during that 10 month gestation and seemingly endless labouring process where you just want it to be over already, and you wonder what on earth could make this “worthwhile.”  And then, when it’s all said and done, it happens: you realize that you’ve been given a gift.  And while you don’t necessarily forget the pain and agony that preceded the receipt of that gift, the nature of the gift itself far outweighs the pain and suffering — and you realize that the actual experience served a purpose (although you might not choose to undergo it again).

The nice thing about childbirth (and similar experiences) is that you do have an inkling of what the outcome will be — so you can “keep your eye on the prize” so-to-speak.  But what about when you’re in the throes of some painful experience and you have no idea of the potential outcome?  Or, what if you’re brain starts inventing all sorts of potential outcomes, none of which seem all that “pain-worthy?”  What then?  Well, here’s what I know for sure.

Your brain loves to play the “what-if yuck” game — that game where every scenario can  only end in yuck.  I don’t know why the brain does this, it just does.  And you can entertain it, or you can just be aware of the yuck and be aware that it’s as made-up as a pot-of-gold.  Either could happen, and, believe it or not, either will serve.  What won’t serve is you getting caught up in trying to figure it all out.  The true gift in the human experience is allowing yourself to experience it, knowing that it all will pass.  And in those moments when you can’t use the goal to support you in moving through the pain, you can use your knowledge that there will be some gift when all is said and done.  It may take time before you see it or realize it — and it’s there nonetheless.

Bottom-line:  embrace the idea that “it all serves.”.  Use this as your mantra, and you can get through most anything.  “It all serves”, whether you can see it or not.  This much I know for sure.