The Gift of Hard Times

Last week I was supposed to go to London to see Taylor Swift. My nails were painted purple, my friendship bracelets were packed and I was scrolling Instagram for all the best London sights. Due to a series of really unexpected and unusual events, the trip was suddenly cancelled. My dreams were over before they started.

On the scale of real problems, I realize this falls lower on the scale, however, it still was an emotional blow and a great disappointment. AND, it gave me so many lessons and powerful reminders that I don't think I would have it any other way now.

The easy days are fun, and well, easy, but the hard moments are what give us the biggest gifts of experience, wisdom and life lessons.

This trip reminded me of the truth that life is always BOTH good and bad, happy and sad. While I was so disappointed to not be in London, I had the BEST time in NYC. There is room in our mind, hearts and days for all of it. We don't have to be all one thing because the truth is that life never is all one thing.

The trip also reminded me how little control we have and how important it is to just Trust The Universe that everything will work out in our best interest. That we need to practice the surrender and let life work itself out. It always does.

I recently heard an interview with Jeremy Renner where he said that being run over by a snowplow and almost dying was the best thing that ever happened to him. Wow, what an incredible perspective to have about such an intense tragedy.

While my sad little London story doesn't even begin to compare with a near death experience, that comment really resonated with me. The truth is that the hard things are the greatest gifts.

Further, because the experience that Jeremy Renner had is a million times harder than my little not-getting-to-London test it also probably gave him relatively much greater gifts and lessons. Life is always about equilibrium and the harder the pendulum swings one direction, it has to swing just as hard back the other way. The greater the hardship, the more valuable the accompanying lesson that follows.

The lessons stay with us for life and could only have been gained from the hard experience.

The next time life doesn't go as expected, I really encourage you to soak up all the lessons the experience is offering you and appreciate them as gifts.