“Sometimes out of the worst comes the best”. Kiss of Death, Film (1947)
It’s hard to believe that sometimes the worst of circumstances can generate the best of results, isn’t it? However, that is the truth of it.
But, what defines the “best”?
It might mean that, despite our fears about a certain situation, everything turns out just fine. Or it might mean that something of good can be extracted from the most difficult of circumstances.
Two Stories
“Out of suffering emerge the strongest souls…” Khalil Gibran
Holly Escapes Her Mental House of Horrors
Holly’s nerves were frazzled. Her ruminating brain constantly searched for threats and, inevitably, it found a real or imagined danger to grab on to. Of course, when one situation turned out to be a “nothing burger” or after it was resolved, her roiling brain immediately found another target for her anxious mind and so it went. Then one day, when Holly finally reached the end of her tether, instead of self-harming, she reached out for help and found just the right therapist to work with. Her journey to freedom from anxiety had begun. You see, despite sayings to the contrary, desperation can be your friend.
Howard ‘s Best Emerges from the Worst
Howard has survived the many ups and downs that life has delivered to his doorstep. However, the event of a few years ago was by far the worst. His beloved brother took his own life. Naturally, Howard’s suffering was exponential. There was nothing he could do to make meaning of his brother’s death; there was nothing he could do to ease his or his family’s pain. Then a friend suggested that he join a support group – a gathering of people who had suffered a similar loss. While it didn’t remove his pain, he found that his suffering eased. He learned that his story helped others. He found that he could support others through their worst moments. Nothing can bring his brother back, but he learned that he could draw something of value from this tragic loss.
Take Away Message – Keep an Open Mind
“Open your mind to possibilities. We live in an infinite universe where anything is possible.” Anonymous
The intention of this piece is not to provide a list of how to’s. Instead, it is to offer a message of hope that something good can emerge from even the most dire of circumstances.
Our exemplars Holly and Howard retrieved the best from their worst experiences. Or maybe it was that they allowed the best to emerge, because their minds, hearts and spirits were open to it.
