There is one thing I’ve heard over and over again from a number of peaceful, well-balanced individuals who are themselves huge advocates of wellness. They all said that the worst things that ever happened to them were also the best. And while this may seem unsettling to people who are hearing it for the first time, this is a well-recognized observation among humans who have done the work to recognize the benefits of their challenges.
There’s a lesson in everything. And because challenge facilitates growth, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the lesson. Even though a challenge may seem or be extreme–including real threats to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual existence–by embracing it and going through the healing process, the increase in wellness is exponentially greater than the challenge itself. Once you are in a place of healing, the initial trauma always looks like a smaller package than it did going in. To get to the point where you can see your trauma as the greatest gift you’ve been given—that’s what wellness is, that’s what healing is.