Everything happens for a reason— I’m sitting on my bed on a Saturday night, in my polka-dot purple onesie, wondering just how much truth is in that statement.
Does everything in life pan out the way that it does as part of a master plan? A master plan that has an end result that’s guaranteed to be in our favour? Are all of the fortunate and unfortunate events that occur in our lives somehow interlinked? And do they always bring with them a deeper meaning, to teach us something and better us as human beings?
So many questions, I know!
I’ve always thought that everything that’s happened in my life has happened for a reason. That whenever something bad transpired I could learn from it and become stronger and wiser as a result. That if I didn’t get the thing that I desperately wanted, it just wasn’t meant to be for me and that eventually I’d get something better instead. For the most part I’ve believed that this was just how the universe operated, that when it truly came down to it the world was a fundamentally fair place.
But right now I’m not so sure. Maybe everything doesn’t always happen for a reason. Maybe sometimes things happen and there is no lesson to be learnt, no wisdom to be attained. It’s possible that sometimes stuff just happens and that’s that; it’s completely random, end of story.
I suppose that we romanticise our lives by subscribing to the ‘everything happens for a reason’ mentality and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s an optimistic and wishful way to go through life and a lot of the time things do seem to work out well for the people who think that way.
However as of lately, for me personally, this ideology seems to be doing more harm than good. Always condoning that ‘everything happens for a reason’ and believing in a ‘master plan’ is advantageous, yes, because it encourages me to find a silver lining in the worst of situations and as a result I’m usually quick to pick myself back up. But on the flip-side it can be damaging, because a lot of the time I feel like I’m left naively waiting around for things that may or may not ever happen, trying to connect dots that may not actually follow any pattern.
Ok, let’s say that I stick with my belief that certain events occur for a reason. That’s fine, I’m happy to do that, but I’m at the point now where I’d like to know just what that reason is, or for someone to at least throw me a bone and give me some kind of clue/hint! I’m tired of trying to blindly fit the puzzle pieces together and guess. I’m tired of asking myself, what exactly was the point of that?!
I’m not saying that I want all of the answers, or that I’m about to book a psychic reading, or that I’m all set to abandon my hopeful mindset, no. I’m not about to start seeing the world through some bitter, pessimistic lens, so don’t write me off just yet! I guess I’m just frustrated and questioning things, caught up in my feelings and over-thinking out loud in a hungover, sleep-deprived state.
I don’t know, I guess it’s all relative. Regardless of whether or not everything in life happens for a reason, it’s still an interesting topic to ponder…
And on a completely unrelated note, I’ve hit 5,000 followers 😀 yaaaay!
Just A Small Town Girl... 
My thoughts exactly…:)
Glad you could relate Jaki 🙂
“I don’t know, I guess it’s all relative.” … So much wisdom packed into this one, simple statement. None of us know: Socrates, supposedly one of the wisest humans in our brief history, celebrated an attitude of acceptance that we don’t know as much as we think we do – he went so far as to suggest that accepting our lack of knowledge was the first real step toward wisdom. Since we don’t know nearly as much as we would often like to tell ourselves we know, we are guessing our way along as often as not. And as for the relativity of things, we are all connected, and we are all parts contemplating a vast whole. If you have the time, you might find an essay I wrote, titled ‘On Relative Being,’ of interest … some of the things you express here remind me of topics I touched on in that essay.
Congratulations on your blog’s milestone achievement 🙂
I agree with you, none of us know. I’ll try and check out your essay on my train journey home 😀 Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!
This post really makes me question my life right now. It makes me think more about it.
I’ll take that as a good sign haha, hope you reached a conclusion and weren’t left feeling frustrated and confused after all that thinking!
Congrats on your milestone!
Thank you 🙂
I read this post and as I took in one sentence and absorbed it and a thought came into my mind -you had already gone onto the next sentence and translated what was in my mind. I think I am kind of saying. I am so on your wave length. I tend to look for the silver lining in everything only to give me hope. Yeah,I guess it would be cool to know why we go through what we do and why do we see people suffer etc… but what would we do with this knowledge? Would that instantly gives us the ability to change it or understand it?Would it bring comfort ? peace? happiness Who knows the answer. You started it 😉 Good post-thanks for sharing .
Haha we’re definitely on the same page by the sounds of it Daisy. On reflection I agree with you, what would we do with all that knowledge…get even more frustrated and worked up! I think it’s just one of those things that can get on top of you every now and then, but I’m feeling much more content about life now 😀 Thanks for stopping by.
Just seen the milestone 5000 followers! WOOOOOOHOOO! How long have you been blogging for. I get excited knowing that I have 343 people who get what I write and connect so what an achievement and I can’t imagine how you are feeling to be so understood. Congratulations – judging by this post alone you truly deserve it 🙂
Yes everything happens for a reason which has already been factored by that super natural power which makes this universe move as it is happening now. Some may call this Super Power God or some non-believer may call it Science. But there is something up & above which has Master Plan for each one of us and we abide by that knowingly or otherwise.
I am not suggesting that since there is a Master Plan already and therefore one need not do anything. We must always strive for doing something better, improve upon constantly. Those who believe that since there is a Master Plan already so why put any effort. Things will happen. Well if that be so then that was the Master Plan. Amen!
I completely agree with you Shiv, thank you for sharing your insight 🙂
There must be a reason why you have 5,000 followers 🙂
Must be, still have no clue what it is though haha. Thanks for stopping by Derrick 🙂
Personally, I look at it like this: stuff happens and then we humans invent a reason.
Congratulations on your milestone!
That’s so true and a great way of summing things up in a nutshell. Thank you 😀
It sounds as if your belief system is essentially post-religious in that you believe in a benevolent universe that is arranging things to make us better people but you don’t use the term God to describe the agent that is behind everything and you don’t rely on any religious tradition for guidance as to what that force that is arranging things is up to. I am a Christian and find that system very useful for understanding times when it’s hard to make sense of what is happening around me. Those from other religious traditions report the same benefits from the teachings of their faith. You could give up looking for meaning altogether, but, if you’re not ready for that, I invite you to explore religious teachings as a way to better understand what’s going on.
Hmm I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as a religious person, but I do believe in God. Most of the time I do find it reassuring to believe that He’s watching over me and leading me through life, but I guess every so often we all question things and get frustrated when life isn’t going our way. I was just having one of those days! You’ve got a great, strong belief system I hope that that continues 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
I don’t know…
A polka-dot purple onsie kinda beggars the question of ‘is there a reason behind everything’.
Doesn’t it…?
(8^)>
Hahah very true!
“Everything happens for a reason” is indeed a bit of a lazy statement…used far too often these days to justify not taking responsibility for one’s own actions.
I agree, it’s a tricky one, but like I said it’s all relative in the end. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Congrats!
Thanks Tikeetha 😀
No. Absolutely no reason for anything. I think the whole purpose of everything is tied up in death. I’d like to find it, but it keeps evading me. Stupid carrier of the scythe! Why can’t he come get me!!
Each to their own. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts Daniel 🙂
I couldn’t help it.
Wandered my way here…but I quite like this space 🙂 I am absolutely following you 🙂 If you’d like to read a bit of what I write (mostly anecdotes and some opinionated articles) do drop by my blog. Looking forward to more posts. 🙂 Cheers
Thanks Aishwarya, I look forward to checking out some of your posts 😀
OMG! Love this post! It sure is relative in the end. But as always, too many still use it to justify their mistakes though.
PS. Congrats on your milestone!
Much love, George
Thanks for stopping by George, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the post! 😀
Wonderfull!!! That’s exactly what I believe..”Everything happens for a reason”!
Thanks for stopping by 😀