You're Making Excuses. Yes - You...

I took the notes for this blog while listening to this album.

Everything happens for a reason...  Wait, no.  I do not believe in that statement but I can rattle off a long list of people I know personally who readily cling to the idea.  Recently, after having an extremely long but completely engaged conversation with a few people at my friend's birthday party, this topic arose.  Being one of four people sitting on some deck chairs and each of the others not expecting to hear such a response from me, I was given the opportunity to explain myself a little bit better and decided to share it here as well.

Considering my upbringing and the actions I have trodden in my past, many people assume being a proponent of everything happening for a specific reason would be a shoe-in for me, yet, no.  The reason I do not agree with the statement at hand has to do with me personally feeling that saying such a thing is more of a cop-out for comfort or a vehicle to make an excuse for an action or consequence.  Thinking a bit more forwardly about this proposed mantra of life, and those who really do found beliefs in it makes me sound as if I am bitter or have some type of personal quarrel I am suppressing, but that is not the case in the least bit.  I simply take a similar, but at the same time, different approach to the idea.  

We are people, we live in the same space as all other people, and we are tested.  I am not making a reference to religion here, but my opinion can actually be applied to many religious beliefs if you would like to go after it in such a way - feel free.  The way I see individual progress is based upon the way in which we all handle various tests and how we react to them in our daily lives.  We are molded within our personalities by the actions and reactions surrounding us, as well as those of ourselves.  

Simple, right?  

Saying "everything happens for a reason" is easy when you are on top of your respective goals, but the reality and less accepting side of the idea is often ignored once the high of the moment wears away.  Taking the approach to the other side, failure can also use this thought process as an excuse to make us feel better when unexpected happenings take place.   When we think this way, the following result is usually a lack of trying because whatever we think controls our destiny did not want us to succeed.

One of the most dramatically mind-boggling ideas I have heard regularly throughout my existence is how people interpret the phrase: "You can do anything if you put your mind to it.".  While this statement is true overall, we have no guarantees of independent success to back any of it up.  

What do I mean by this?

Somewhere along the lines, the idea that we can do or be anything we want was skewed into:  "You can do anything if you put your mind to it, make a living at it, and live an easy, carefree life."  But the former is just not true because everything does not happen for a reason.  Everything happens because of the way we respond to life and the directions we allow ourselves to travel in.  

If you are happy, be well aware that your entire world could fall away from you in a split second so stay entirely motivated in everything you do to minimize the chances of such happening.

If you have a passion, devote every second you can to bettering it and never expect anything from those passions other than personal fulfillment as well as keeping your own happiness in check.  Never expect to make a living doing what you love, because few ever get the chance - if you are miserable because you cannot just do what you want all the time, re-evaluate your definition of "passion" and stop being an enabled brat.  

If your life seems to be taking sour turns or has fallen apart, make an investment in yourself and take the time to learn from the past, while educating yourself about what your next steps will be in the future.  Take a risk if you need to, but keep a clear mind and make your goals in life realistic building blocks to greater achievements.  

Everything does not happen for a reason.

Everything happens so you can reason with it.

Grace and Peace,

-Drew

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