Robin Sieger Blog

It is a question that has been asked throughout the ages, why does bad stuff happen to good people? I don’t know that we look at this the right way, or indeed if it is a valid question.
Maybe we need to stop thinking of events as good or bad, one persons bad is another’s good. However we can all agree, that events which impact on our mortality, our health, or our sense of security, can be very distressing and nothing really good comes out of it; a life crippling accident, the death of a close friend or family member, a period of depression, where is the good in that?
I for one don’t have a one size fits all answer to that, though I have my own thoughts which I would like to share. It is in times of distress that I have come to acknowledge the power of love in life. A power we ignore or take for granted; in our grief, weakness and despair we discover how much we are loved by those close to us. We understand that life is uncertain and one must make the most of every day for it is the only time we have. We discover that we can overcome even the harshest events, and if we are open to life we can learn much about ourselves and become a little stronger in the process.
I have met people who have endured suffering on a scale that I cannot fathom, who have every right to be angry with the world, yet could not be more compassionate. Who when asked about the bad times, shrug it off as an event they have no wish to recall; they are survivors, they are winning the game of life, by still living to the full all the world has to offer.
I remember reading a book given to me by an American motivational speaker who had gone through two life shattering events, the first was when he nearly died in a motor cycle accident that left him with 90% burns, and though severely scarred he made a full recover, only to break his back years later and then be confined to a wheelchair. His answer message was “It is not what happens to you that matters, it is what you do about it that counts”.
When bad stuff happens, once again we have a choice, do you become a victim, forever lamenting at your misfortune, or do you chose to do something about it?
We do not know with any certainty what the future holds, but at least we know with certainty we have a choice, even if it is limited and reduced to selecting a positive attitude come what may. So when bad stuff happens, we need to accept, to grieve, to move on and to grow.

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