Buddha said – life is suffering. Inevitably, we will all experience pain, sadness, and moments that cause us unhappiness, but often we can look back and see how that pain motivated us to make positive changes. We all get to decide how we react to the suffering. You can wallow in it and let it pull you down, or you can use it as a motivator to move on. It’s nearly impossible to see the silver lining while you are suffering. You might need the time and perspective for healing from an emotional wound. Having faith that you will get through it will help you see the silver lining sooner. Even when nothing seems like it could going right, I still have a deep-down belief that something better will find its way to me.
It’s been a year since I was laid off due to the pandemic. It was one of the most emotionally painful events I’ve had to go through in my life. I took time yesterday, the anniversary of my layoff, to look back and see how the pain pushed me to do things that I might not have done if I had not been laid off. There were a lot of bad days as I worked through the many stages of grief, but I find myself a year later at acceptance and hope. I spent the year defining myself without a permanent job. Think about when we meet someone new. One of the first questions most people ask someone is “what do you do for a living?” Especially in the US, our jobs often define us. It’s no wonder that we give them so much interest since we spend such a large portion of our day working. So when you take that defined portion of your life away, you leave a lot of space to fill.
I chose to fill my time with learning, improving my surroundings, improving my health, spending more time appreciating my family and nature, and giving back through volunteering. All that time and effort helped me find ways to experience accomplishment that was not defined by a boss or company. I have finally remembered that I am far more than a job title. It wasn’t easy at all. It was hard to see that silver lining while surviving the storm that I was going through emotionally. But here I am today; I can finally see the silver lining. I see how the suffering moved me to redefine myself. I am finally grateful for the pain. Even though I am still looking for that next permanent job, I feel hopeful that this year off has given me the perspective to see my value and know what I would prefer to do in the future.
If you are suffering now, I hope you can find a little bit of faith that there will be a silver lining waiting for you in the end. You can chose to let the pain motivate you. What silver lining have you found from your past challenges?
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