215.6 (note how 8 consecutive days of working out has not moved this number down)
I notice that often when something negative or undesirable happens to us, friends and family reassure us by repeating the phrase that is the title of this post: "everything happens for a reason."
I know I've had discussions with at least a couple of my friends about whether, in fact, this is the case. . . . or whether we just frame things this way in retrospect. As an example, some might say that the "reason" that things didn't work out with my ex-fiance SL and me was so that "something better" could come into my life in the form of my relationship with MM.
BUT. . . . did my break-up with SL REALLY happen so that I could meet and marry MM? Couldn't it simply be that I broke up with SL because not marrying him was a better idea than marrying him, and then eventually (and inevitably) I fell in love with someone new who just happens to be a better fit for me?
Does anything that happens to us TRULY happen for a reason?
Discuss.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Everything happens for a reason
Posted by S at 3:38 PM
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5 comments:
My poor head and heart have been so confused about love for the past several months that I don't even think I'm capable of answering that question.
I don't know that your breakup with SL "happened" to you. I think it was a conscious choice.
That's all I got. ;-)
I don't really think everything happens for a reason. BUT, I often subconsciously subscribe to this notion. I think it makes life nicer if we believe this. I do think some things might happen for a reason. Which do and which don't, who knows? Hmmmm, I guess this is why I can't find an organized religion or dogma that can accomodate all of my innate beliefs.
Although I don't believe we are little puppets blindly following some sort of plotted out life, I do believe that the main purposes of our life have ARE what we are supposed to be doing/living/learning, etc.
I also had a really bad first serious relatioship that went straight to hell. But I do believe that was for a reason. Now I'm married to a wonderful man, and I think I appreciate him more than I otherwise would have.
I have conflicting beliefs in case you can't tell. I do believe in christianity (for the most part), but I also believe that we come back if we don't learn whatever purpose we were sent here to do.
The spiritual side of me says that yes, things happen for a reason...you know, all part of the plan.
However, the cynic in me just thinks it's the one door opening after another closes thing.
It's all so confusing.
I think that this catch phrase is designed to make people feel better about bad things that happen to them. Similarly, there is a good argument that religion exists because people fear death.
That said - what's wrong with that? We take an asprin to make the pain go away, sometimes it would go away anyway if someone gave us a placebo and told us it was asprin. So what? The pain went away.
If it makes people feel better, I think it's ok for them to believe it. Logical cynics like us are stuck not being so reassured. To quote another popular catchphrase - ignorance is bliss.
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