Many people may believe that the way our lives unfold is pre-determined by a higher power—that our trials and tribulations are tests or lessons that have been laid out before us and are beyond our control. While others may believe that everything experienced in life is entirely a product of our own creation—the good, the bad and the ugly—whether we are conscious of it or not. Here are five benefits I’ve gleaned from the downs in the continuous ups and downs of life: The experience of pain can deepen your sense of gratitude: as Khalil Gibran wrote in The Prophet, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.” All we need are baby steps to help reconnect to our true self, which is pure, unconditional love and joy despite whatever it is we may currently be experiencing. That is our life’s work. If we never had hard times, we wouldn’t have an opportunity to practice it.
