Why Not YOU?

Why Not YOU? We will all have challenges but today I say why not YOU to be Lucky, to be Blessed, to have the good things come your way on this special day...Wishing you the luck of the Irish ; )

Do you believe you're special? Has anyone ever told you that you're special? Though some people in the world might tell you differently, I'm here to tell you there's nothing wrong with believing we're special because we're all special in our own unique ways.

What concerns me are the people who think they're above walking through something tough. Many times, adults who haven't walked through tough or painful challenges in their life will ask, "Why me?" when an obstacle arises. Often, they might say things such as, "I'm a good person who does good things. I give to charity and donate material items. How could this happen to me? I don't deserve this."

Each time I hear someone questioning, "Why me?" I imagine an old Ziggy cartoon. In the cartoon, Ziggy asks God, "Why me?" and God replies, "Why not!" All of us, no matter what life journey you're on, walk through struggles in life that might last a day, a week, a month, or an entire season. It would be wonderful if none of us had to struggle, but that's not the way it works. We don't struggle because we "deserve it," we struggle because it's all a part of this unpredictable thing called life.

It's hard for me to hear from people who think they're above feeling pain or facing tough challenges while saying, "Why me? I'm a good person." Every time I hear someone say that, I think about all the abused or neglected children who are also good people and don't deserve to feel that kind of pain. It's also hard for me to hear from those people who have walked through their lives simply with almost no hardship only to think about those who walk through trial after trial with no end in sight.

My wish is for people to think before they speak as words can deeply hurt others around us and leave them feeling like they deserve the hardships they've encountered, which they don’t. None of us deserve to face pain in our lives and at the same time, no one is above having to face that pain either. Although you may be special, keep in mind the person next to you who has been struggling through challenge after challenge for years is special, too. I urge you not to put yourself above those around you and recognize that being a "good person" doesn't exempt you from hurdles.

This week, I challenge you to reach out to someone in your life who's walking through something tough to lend a kind word or see how you can support them. If you're the someone who's walking through something tough, I encourage you to reach out to someone in your life to let them know how they can support you. None of us can live this crazy thing called life alone, and it's up to us to decide how we show up for one another in times of need. What does living your exceptional life look like to you?

When you walk through a challenging season or experience do you ask, "Why me?" If so, what answer(s) do you hear in return?

Do you look for the lessons within your struggles? What's the greatest lesson you've learned ?

What's the most challenging thing you've faced? What did it teach you?