"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get."
- Forrest Gump
If life is anything, it's unpredictable. We can plan for the future, and things may even go our way, but they do not always turn out the way we plan them. Life happens. It's the randomness of life that keeps things interesting and can keep us on our toes at times. In the grand scheme of things, life can be more enjoyable by successfully navigating the randomness of life when it's not going our way. It should not be so much about preventing unwanted things from happening, which isn't possible. The only thing we have control over is how we respond to the randomness of life.
How we respond to life is what separates those who make life happen for them and those who allow life to happen to them. When life inevitably does not go our way, we can choose to accept the challenge presented to us and do something about it, or we can choose to play the victim and adopt a "woe is me" mentality. It might not seem fair sometimes. We may feel like life is mistreating us while granting fortune toward others. We do not get to decide how life treats others. We get to decide how to respond to how life treats us.
Photo by Natã Romualdo on Pexels
It can be easy to fall into a trap of feeling like we are not in control of our own lives at times. It can bring on feelings of helplessness and fear of what's to come. A really great reminder for when life seems to be presenting us with more than we can handle, is that it's never been too much to handle. We have come this far in life. We have handled every situation life has presented to us, some better than others. We cannot avoid the inevitable. The best we can do is respond in a way that presents a more favorable outcome for us in the long run.
So, how will you respond the next time life hands you your least favorite chocolate in the box? Maybe you eat it. Maybe you trade it in for a new one. Maybe you gift it to someone else. There is no use complaining or proclaiming that life is not fair. That does not get us anywhere. What would be the most favorable response? It depends on the person and the situation. That's the beauty in the randomness of life. You never know what you are going to get.
More Wellness!
Exploring your mind: The Randomness of Life: How to Accept the Unexpected
Psychology Today: Can You Accept the Randomness of Life?
New Scientist: Harness randomness to succeed at life
