Often when something bad happens to us, we wonder if we could have done something differently. Maybe, but how do we know whether that would turn out better in the end?

Things that are bad in the short term might be great on the long term. I remember doing poorly on my first accounting exam at UMASS Lowell, which inspired me to buy a study guide that led to an A in that class. Realizing the value of investing in study materials, I later purchased exam prep courses that helped me pass the CPA exam on my first attempt and pass the CIA exam with one of the 30 best scores in the US. Maybe a bad first exam at UMASS was just what I needed.

Everything going well now might leave you ill-prepared for adversity later on. Some of my early movement therapy clients got great results in the first session and it felt easy. After the first client that really challenged me, I could not sleep because I was thinking about all of the different things I could have tried. I have since realized that I learn much more from the challenging clients than the easy ones.

Maybe the challenges you face now are the reason why you will make decisions that lead to the best parts of your life later. If your path is easy, will you value the journey?