Is there an answer to the question of why bad things happen to good people?… The response would be to forgive the world for not being perfect… no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, what we intend to do now that it has happened.
~ Harold S. Kushner
Have you ever noticed that Life is like a vast tapestry, woven with threads of joy and sorrow, ease, and challenge? Yet, amid this intricate design, we often wonder why “bad” things happen to “good” people—including ourselves. This question has echoed through the ages, whispered in moments of suffering, cried out in the face of loss. But with self-awareness, within this question lies an invitation—a doorway to a deeper understanding of life’s nature and beauty.
This does not dismiss the idea of Karma, because we are always becoming cause to our own effect—sometimes it just looks and feels different than we might have imagined. But first, we recognize that the principle of Life is neither a punitive nor a vengeful force. The Universe does not operate on a sliding scale of judgment, handing out rewards to the righteous and punishments to the wicked. Believing otherwise is superstition and spiritual naivety. Instead, we can perceive life as a sacred sojourn, constantly returning us to the present moment, offering us the chance to awaken to our highest potential. Even if it doesn’t always look or feel good, sometimes stuff just happens.
When adversity strikes, we are called to look beyond the surface and glimpse the larger picture.
Challenges are not signs of divine displeasure; they are sacred teachers. Like a sculptor’s chisel, they may carve away illusions, revealing strength, compassion, and wisdom we never knew we had. Sometimes the chisel slips; sometimes stuff just happens.
Yet, within suffering, we may discover reservoirs of resilience. We may be reminded of our shared humanity, the fragile and precious nature of existence. Rather than asking, “Why did this happen?” perhaps the more profound question is, “How shall I respond?” Our embodied responses define us. Will we become bitter, or will we allow pain to transform us, fostering empathy, growth, and forgiveness?
THE TAKEAWAY: Ultimately, peace arises when we release the need to label experiences as “good” or “bad.” In that space, we trust the unfolding journey, knowing that every experience—even the painful ones—hold the potential for awakening. With the proper perspective, Life’s challenges are not curses but catalysts, urging us to deeper understanding and connection with the Wholeness from which we’ve come. Perhaps the answer is not to avoid suffering, but to embrace it with a courageous and compassionate heart. Recognize Light’s presence even in our darkest hours.
Life is a sacred dance, and sometimes stuff just happens. Our defining moment lies in how we choose to respond to the dance.
The idea that being happy is equivalent to always being at the top of a roller coaster and constantly feeling the maximum excitement is a lie. In life there are ups and downs, there are pleasant emotions but also the hardest ones because each of them performs its own vital function for the person.
The things that bother us the most or make us suffer, do not ask our permission to exist, or to happen when we are strongest. It is up to us to decide what to make happen around them, welcoming each emotion with the right balance.
That things happen is inevitable, that sometimes they get in the way of our usual path is normal. Strength lies in change, in revenge, in trying to find the right way to get out of it, to face everything with perseverance and love and not stagnate in the acceptance of one’s destiny.