“Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I know that when you’re in the thick of a “dark and dreary” time, words like this don’t bring much comfort.

In fact, they’re more likely to bring resentment. Speaking from personal experience, anyway.

“Great,” I remember thinking — more than once. “I have to have a miserable time now and then. Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Actually…no. But it can give you some perspective. It can make you feel like no, the Universe isn’t picking on you. It can remind you that you’re not alone and that this is just one of the challenging parts of life.

It’s easy to catastrophize when the wheels seem to be coming off. You might stop noticing the blessings, and instead just focus on what’s going wrong.

Important Points To Remember

• The only constant is change. Nothing stays the same forever. Trust that the Wheel of Life will keep turning and things will always improve. Focus on where you want to be on the other side of this “rainy period,” whether it’s short term and after the current situation is behind you, or if it’s a longer term bigger picture goal.

• There will always be something good in even the darkest times. Yes, even in tragedies, e.g. with the loss of a loved one, there are blessings to be found in the support and kindness of others. Every day, write a few lines that start with, “I appreciate…” or “I’m grateful for…” or “I’m so glad…”

• Rain is cleansing. It purifies the air, the land, everything it touches. It’s a symbol of washing away old hurts or anything that no longer serves you well. Who do you need to forgive? Someone else? Yourself? This is an excellent time to create some sort of ritual to release the past and leave it where it belongs.

• The darkness forces you to go inward. What you’re experiencing is like turning off the light and there you are, sitting in the dark by yourself. It forces you to focus your attention on your inner world and reflect on what needs healing, what needs changing. What needs to happen in order for you to feel better and move forward?

• The rainbow is on its way. Keep looking for it. If you allow yourself to see and appreciate the gifts in this dark period, the rainbow will show up sooner than if you just bide your time, grit your teeth, and resent the hell out of every difficult moment.

• You’re not alone. Rain doesn’t just fall on one house or one tree. Everyone goes through difficulties and dark periods. Reach out to loved ones; tell them how you’re feeling. Maybe you just need an ear; maybe you need more help than that. We’ve all been there. Those who love you will want to support you but they can’t do it if they don’t know you’re struggling.

• Rain makes everything grow. What insights can you gain from this experience? What can you learn about yourself? How can you stretch and grow from this? How can it bring new meaning to your life?

Yes, “Into each life some rain must fall.” And if you let it, it will bring beautiful gifts that can enrich your life in more ways than you can imagine.

Spiritual Arts Mentor and Master Teacher, Liberty Forrest, guides you in discovering who you are, why you’re here, and how to follow that path.

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