We are here to learn lessons, and the world is our teacher

When I was twelve, my most prized possession was my football. I ate with it, slept with it and I polished it weekly... instead of my shoes. I knew all about football- but on some other things, like where a baby came from, I was a little hazy.

One afternoon I was playing in the street and I lost precious ball. I looked everywhere. I figured someone had stolen it.

Eventually, I spotted a woman who seemed to be hiding it under her jacket. So, I marched and asked her "What do you think you are doing with my football stuck up your shirt?

It turned out that she didn't have my football.... but that afternoon I learned where a baby come from and what a woman looks like when she is mine months pregnant. Later that day, I also found my ball.

What fascinated me most of all, was why I had never noticed a pregnant woman before the age of ten... and why from then onward, I seemed to be surrounded by them.

Conclusion
We reach points in our life when we are ready for new information. Until then, something can be staring us in the face but we don't see it.

Why do I Need Disasters?

In relationships- when do we usually tell each other how much we care? When the marriage is falling apart, when the family is falling apart!

In school- when do we finally knuckle down and study? When we are about to fail. 
In Business- when do we try new ideas and make the the tough decisions? When we can't pay our bills. When do we finally learn about customer service? After the customers have left!

When do we usually pray? When our life is falling apart! "Dear Lord, I know I haven't spoken to you since the last time the yogurt hit the fan.."

We learn our biggest lessons when things rough. When have you made the most important decisions in your life? When you were on your knees - after disasters, after knock-backs, when you've been kicked in the head. That's when we say to ourselves: "I'm sick of being broke, sick of being kicked around. I'm tired of being mediocre. I'm going to do something."

Success we celebrate- but we don't learn to much. Failure hurts - and that's when we get educated. In retrospect, we usually notice "disasters" were turning points. 


Effective people don't go looking for problems, but when they get smacked in the mouth, they ask themselves: "How do I need to change what I'm thinking and what I'm doing?  How can I be better than I am now? "

Loser ignore all the warning signs. When the roof falls in, they ask: "Why does everything happen to me?


We are creatures of habit. We keep doing what we are doing until we are forced to change. 

So is life a series of painful disasters?
Not necessarily. The universe is always nudging us with gentle signals. When we ignore the signals, it nudges us with a sledgehammer.
Growth is most painful when we resist it. 


Continue!