What if we had “scientific evidence” to prove that every hardship we encounter is the pulling back of the slingshot to propel you in the direction of amazingness? Surely, it’d be scientifically worded like that, too. But in all seriousness, what if? What if we knew with absolute certainty that was the case? That on the other side of difficulty, which is always short-lived, (and even more-so based on how long you allow it to pervade your life and how fluidly you move through it) is a better you, a better circumstance, and a better life. That might change a few things, right? We might even look forward to difficulty, welcome challenges with open arms.
That, I would say, is one thing this whimsical journey has shown me over and over again. In fact, it is in the times of uncertainty, hardship, and chaos that the Soul is propelled along the journey of its own evolution the most, that the most progress is made. It’s the tests that reap the greatest reward.
Here’s a perfect example. My sister was riding her bike, and while sitting at a green light, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass so that she could turn left, she gets rear-ended. She projectiles forward into the street, her bike is accordion-ed, and most of her belongings, which were in a basket attached to the back of her bike, are scattered about the road. Best-case-scenario style, she suffers only a bum elbow, a stolen wallet (who the hell steals the wallet of a woman who was just hit by a car?!), and a few gnarly scrapes and bruises. Fast forward a month and some change, her health is restored, she’s $2,000 richer, she has a brand-new bike to replace her not-so-brand-new bike she had gotten for free from a friend, and something in her has shifted, for the better. She’s calmer and more aware. Her empathy is heightened (she felt horribly bad for the guy who hit her and even for the dick who stole her wallet!), and she’s a little bit more grateful to simply be alive.
Now, if that’s not scientific proof, I don’t know what is. And in only a month’s time! A horrifying experience which shook her to the core, literally, has ended up bettering her as a person, improving her life circumstance (more money and a cool new bike), and ameliorating her life as a whole (there’s no deeper gratitude than that of simply being thankful to be alive).
There are the “good” phases of life, where it’s smooth sailing and life is easy, with a don’t get much better than this-type vibe, and then there are the setting up for personal evolution phases that we love to call “bad” and avoid at all costs. The more you run and hide and avoid and evade, the more “difficult” it becomes. The more you surrender to what is, allow the situation to unfold as it will, and trust that not only this too shall pass, but that there is a greater version of you on the other side, what you will often find is the “bad” is never THAT bad, that you’ve come to know a lot about yourself and the people in your corner and your ability to endure in times of trouble, and that the moments of life’s brilliance are made that much sweeter by the times that feel not-so-brilliant.
Keep going, my beautiful friends. If you do nothing else, just keep going. “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” It’s all a part of the Divine unfolding. The bricks that are being laid to lead you towards an even better you.
Love your way through.
With Love, Solé
Solé Romero 