There are seasons in life when the ground beneath us feels unsteady.
Plans unravel.
Relationships crack under pressure.
Prayers seem to echo into an endless silence.
In those moments, our instinct is to fixate on the pain, on the opportunities lost, the people who walked away, or the dreams that crumbled before they could take shape.
We replay the “why” in our minds: Why did this happen? Why me? Why now?
But there is a quieter, more life-giving question waiting in the shadows:
What can I bring out of this?
Not Why did it happen? But what now?
Not, what have I lost? But what have I gained?
Not, how can I go back? But how will I grow forward?
Because maybe this moment didn’t come to break you; it came to shape you.
Maybe the storm wasn’t here to destroy you; it was here to deepen you.
From disappointment, you can bring out resilience; the kind that teaches you you’re stronger than you thought.
From heartbreak, you can bring out compassion, a tenderness for others who know what it’s like to hurt.
From confusion, you can bring out clarity, an understanding of what truly matters.
From failure, you can bring out wisdom, lessons that prepare you for your next chapter.
The experience itself may not have been good. You may never look back and say you’re glad it happened.
But what you carry forward can still be beautiful.
This is the power of reflection.
It’s not just surviving; it’s transforming.
It’s taking the pieces life hands you and arranging them into something meaningful, even if the picture looks nothing like what you planned.
So if you’re standing in the aftermath of something you didn’t choose, pause and ask yourself:
What will I bring out of this?
Because life will always hand us moments we cannot control
But we can always control what we carry out of them.
Comments ()