7 Things Tragedies Are Trying To Teach You

“Tragedy is more important than love. Out of all human events, it is tragedy alone that brings people out of their own petty desires and into awareness of other humans’ suffering. Tragedy occurs in human lives so that we will learn to reach out and comfort others” — C. S. Lewis

1. Life is unpredictable. No matter how much you plan your life or how much you know about it, you will always be faced with situations you didn’t prepare for or things you thought will never happen to you until it hits close to home and then you’re forced to change — which is the biggest lesson of all.

2. Don’t take time for granted. Sometimes you postpone important things because you think you have all the time in the world, but life runs faster than you think and in a moment everything can change and you will always regret the things you waited to do or the words you waited to say — unfortunately life doesn’t go by your timing.

3. Appreciate the people in your life. Appreciate your family, your friends and your loved ones because tragedies happen in a flash and you’re left with the memories you have with these people. It’s easier to know that you’ve given them the love and appreciation they deserved instead of regretting the way you treated them.

4. They open your eyes to your blessings. When you learn about tragedies happening to the closest people to you, you start counting your blessings and you become more grateful for the simple things in your life.

5. They help you find your purpose in life. Or help you question your purpose until you find it. They shake up your thoughts and feelings and make you wonder about your life and your goals — forcing you to pursue a more meaningful life.

6. They help you find your inner strength. You think you can’t handle certain tragedies but when they actually happen, you find the strength within you to endure the pain and find the light in tragedy — the silver lining and the power you need to move on from such troubling times.

7. They bring you out of your shell. Out of your meaningless complaints, out of your unnecessary grudges or out of your own head and your own ego. It humbles you because you realize that there are bigger things to worry about and that tragedies can happen to you too.

And sometimes tragedies inspire you to help others, share stories and put those tragedies to good use. Because when the pain subsides, you look back and find the valuable lessons you took from these tragedies and how they somehow made you a wiser person.