I get notifications from a page I like on Facebook, Power Of Positivity. They have all sorts of great stories and hint/tips for living a positive life. One story in particular caught my attention and I wanted to share the main message.
Sometimes, something bad happens to us or someone we love and all we can focus on is the tragedy of things or negativity toward the situation.
"There was a story of a man who was working in a convenience store one evening. He was not supposed to work that night, but the manager asked him to cover the shift. While all was going as expected, a masked man came into the store and demanded money from the clerk. Although the clerk did nothing to provoke the robber, he was beaten severely.
After being rushed to the hospital, the young man was put through a series of tests, including a CAT scan. This evening was a horrible experience for the clerk and he could not help but think about why this happened to him. He was angered and resentful for what he had been put through.
Moments later, the doctor came in to discuss the test results. The CAT scan showed that the victim of the beating actually had a brain tumor that was luckily caught in time. Because it was found so early in its stage, it was operable and later removed. They had said that if it had not been caught, he would have went to sleep one night and not be able to wake up. Although the situation was devastating, it actually saved this man's life."
How many things have happened to you that you later realized happened for a reason? I know I have had a lot of turmoil throughout my life and when I look back, I see why and what I needed to learn from the situation. I have tried to change my way of thinking about bad stuff, and have tried to look for the lesson.
My Grandmother was 85 years old and got around very good for being in her eighties. She walked to the grocery store daily and cleaned house all week long. One day, she was taking the garbage can to the curb when she stumbled and fell. She was taken to the doctor. The doctor had a concern about what made her fall. No one thought anything of it. However, after running tests, the doctor found that she had stage four cancer. The strong, stubborn woman that I had known all of my life decided at that moment to give up. She withdrew from all of us, didn't want to talk to anyone and didn't want to do anything. She also quit eating and drinking. She basically shut down. Several months later, my Grandma passed away.
Now, I am not saying that how she chose to live out her final days was wrong. In fact, I could not imagine what it would be like to learn of such a horrible disease ending my life. However, I believe the negative situation and the way she handled it shortened her life dramatically. And all of this happened because she fell while taking the garbage out.
In summary, things are not always as they seem. And to sound very cliche' - everything happens for a reason. It's not what is happening, it is how you handle it.
Visit The Power of Positivity website to read all of their wonderful stories and insights.
