Have you ever been in a situation that you have done everything exactly as you should have, feel proud of your accomplishments and suddenly your world crashes around you and none of it makes sense? Well, that is how I feel recently. Fifteen successful months, great relationships built and objectives met, however, as it appears none of it mattered and poof…it’s gone. I was having a conversation with a peer today in the same circumstance, as I answered her phone call and responded to her question, how are you doing Shohreh, I said great,  she said “oh Shohreh, how do you do it?” I responded I don’t like negative energy around me, so I deal with the emotions and release. Don’t get me wrong, I am feeling a lot of things and I acknowledge the emotions, deal with them by talking to close friends and family to get them off my chest, I meditate to release and balance. At the end, my focus is to be centered and positive instead of allowing myself to wallow in my sorrow.

We all use terms such as “it is what it is”, “it’s meant to be”, or “things happen for a reason”, but then when push comes to shove we try to make sense of things right away. Well, sometimes it doesn’t make sense, accept it and get on with it. This has been proven to me so many times that now I am a believer. “Things happen for a reason”. I remember years ago I really wanted a position at the company I was working at and to all indications I was the strongest candidate. At the last minute someone else with several years in that same position decided to move to San Diego and I lost the job to her. I was angry; I felt the job was stolen from me and that it should have been mine. Well, had to get over it and go on but still felt something was taken from me. Thirty days later staffing reductions was announced in that department, and guess what, the individual that had transferred was laid-off. I was stunned; it could have been me finding myself without a job. I was elated, happy and grateful.  How could I have felt such opposite feelings for the same event in such short time? I have experienced so many of these events that I just accept what universe puts in front of me as I know things will work out as long as I remain positive and keep on putting my best foot forward.  And this time, as it appears, things are working out better than I could have possibly imagined.

What is the message you may ask. Pay attention to every moment and all that is happening around you and within you, learn from the experiences and keep on going. The only one I can control is me, so I control the controllable. Our thoughts determine who we are and what we do, so control the thoughts. I am true to myself and am determined to live an authentic life that I am willing to sign my name to.

I accept the events in my life, but do not allow them to victimize me. My thoughts and my actions will get me where I need to be. And the events of my life today are yet again an example of the notion that “things happen for a reason” as I could have not designed the outcome any better. That is all that matters.  As Dan Millman said, “there are no ordinary moments”. Pay attention, and do not let negativity clutter your mind. Don’t be reactive and stay purposeful in every action and all will work out.