The universe has a way of grabbing our attention at times. Life can get so busy and hectic that we lose sight of our dreams, our sense of self, and what is happening around us.
Steve Jobs said it best during his 2005 Stanford Commencement address, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
Believing that the dots of our future will all align and paint a beautiful picture takes a lot of faith. Many times we wish to plan every single aspect of our lives out, but you know what? We can’t!
As much as we want that control, many times it is out of our hands.
When unexpected events happen in life we may not understand them during that exact moment, but somewhere down the road we will. We are able to look back and see exactly what lesson we were to learn.
I have had many unexpected events happen in life, some I would never have planned if it were up to me. While I am able to look back and understand the purpose of most, others I still struggle to wrap my head around.
Recent events have led me to believe that everything does indeed happen for a reason. When big changes happen in life, I think it is to help push us out of our comfort zones. It gives us time to reflect on the things and people that are important to us. We have time to remember our dreams and goals and who we are.
Some of the best advice I have received lately is “take this time to get to know who YOU are, not who think you should be or who others think you should be. Keep a bible close and focus on the word, read books, etc. Take this time to become the best you you can be.”
Work, school, family, etc are so very important but can distract us from paying attention to ourselves and our own needs. I took the above advice and can say that some days I do feel a lot more in tune with myself. Unexpected changes force us to make necessary adjustments and for that I am grateful.
While some changes can be frustrating, they happened for a reason and are a part of Gods plan for us. Everything happens for a reason because life experiences form who we are and how we take on the world. It is easy to give up and not want to push forward, but we have to.
Despite any changes you may be going through, good or bad I have some words of encouragement! (At least I hope you find them encouraging)
1. Know that not all bad situations are permanent! If you are going through a rough patch it does not mean you are going to stay there. Keep pushing! Turn a test into a testimony!
2. If you are going through something good or bad, take time to reflect and learn from it. It will help you or someone else later in life.
3. Like Steve Jobs said don’t focus on the dots in the future. We can’t control those, but know that moving forward they will align the way they should. Each dot is a part of your story that is unique and special. That should give us all a little hope and motivation to keep going.
4. There is so much in life to thankful for. If you are reading this it means you woke up today, you have access to some device to see this, your eyes are functioning properly etc. So many things we take for granted are true blessings. No matter your circumstance know that you will be okay and have much to be thankful for. Even in those times it may feel different.
– Jalysa K
