Living a better life is a goal we all share. In that desire, we must address the relationships in our lives. We meet all kinds of people. Some come and quickly go, some stay with us for a time and yet others are forever with us. I don’t believe in chance. We are meant to meet each and every person that comes into our life.
Some are a true blessing, offering friendship, support, compassion and so much more. We develop a bond with these people and if we nurture the relationship it can become an amazing extension of who we are. They help us to see our potential when we can’t see it. They tell us the truth even when it is painful to hear, yet they tell you with compassion and understanding so the pain of the truth is something you can handle. You actually see what it is you have been blind to because of fear, insecurity, self doubt. All the while you know this person has nothing but the best of intentions for you. You know they will be there anytime you need them. They push you forward and believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself. They are great BLESSINGS to us and LESSONS on who we really are. They make living a better life possible because of who they are and the lessons they lovingly offer.
Other people come into our lives and are only there for a bit, perhaps a few days or weeks. We often think they are going to be the next great friendship only to find ourselves disappointed and thinking that living a better life with or because of them is anything but possible. They come and they go and somewhere along the way we find ourselves wondering why did I allow myself to even let that person be around me to begin with? They did nothing but cause pain. Fact is, they came into our lives to be lessons: lessons that we all need for many different reasons. Some of us need to be pushed forward and perhaps they are simply there to be an affirmation we needed on a personal level, or to remind us to be compassionate even when we don’t agree with their ways. We often say “good riddance” to these people once they are no longer in our lives. BUT, we learn some of our greatest lessons through these people. Had they not come into our lives we may have not taken that next step to move forward. Maybe they said or did something that hurt you and now you find yourself determined to prove them differently. Maybe they reminded you that although you are a very caring person you are too wrapped up in yourself and your busy life and have forgotten to be there for others as much as you should. Yes, I know all of these things are not easy to hear about ourselves but they are very real and true parts of our lives. No one is perfect and we all need reminders. These people teach us about ourselves, so although at the time we don’t understand why we ran into such a person and what the real need for all of the pain was, if we take the time to realize what it is that we really learned from them we can see just how important they actually were to us. Not only were they there to teach us a LESSON but truth be told they are just as much of a BLESSING as well. We grew from them and we pursued all the more the goal of living a better life; to better ourselves and to be more understanding of others along the way. We learn of our own strengths and weaknesses and it helps us to grow into our best possible selves.
There is always something to be learned, some way to grow. It is a never ending cycle to our lives. We have to be willing to see all of the people we meet as blessings; some much easier than others but still blessings. Our lives will only be better for it. So the next time you run into someone and you start to say “I wish I had never met them” ask yourself what is it you are supposed to be learning from this person first. How are they affecting your life? They are there for a reason; to help you achieve the goal of living a better life. It’s within you to discover what that reason is and to consider it a blessing even when it throws your life off track.
What people have come into your life as blessings and lessons? How did they affect you and how are you living a better life because of them?
