For years, I believed spiritual growth was mostly about attracting beautiful synchronicities and manifesting what you want. The “bad” things happen because of the “wrong” mindset. But what if real growth happens through challenges?
A story you don´t want to experience
On my way home from my 3-week-long stay in Italy (I studied art in a real art school in Florence – one of my biggest dreams came true finally!), I stopped by in front of a hypermarket to buy some food. It was Saturday evening so the parking place was full. I decided to walk my dog for a few minutes before shopping because it looked like I would probably spend quite a long time in a queue to the cashier. I thought it would be just a few minutes, so I didn´t bother to take my handbag with me and left it on the front seat.
HUUUUGE mistake!
When I turned back, the window was broken, and there was no handbag anymore.
- All my money – gone
- All my credit cards – gone
- ID card – gone
- Driving license – gone
- I was over 900 km from home. The car I wanted to sleep in somewhere on the road had a broken window
Now what???
More than the shock, I was surprised. Kind of “how something like this could happen to ME?” Not the victim poor-me-mentality “Why me?” question. It was more like “What kind of mistake did I make to manifest THIS??”
I switched to the acting mode very quickly so this story had a happy ending. If you´re curious how I made it, there´s a video on my YouTube channel with the whole story. What I would like to share here is something different – the lesson behind this seemingly dramatic experience.
It´s not the situation that makes you feel good or bad
It´s what you focus on, and your thoughts about the situation. Because in the same external “drama”, I was able to go through various states of mind:
Sad
because I was so frugal in the previous 3 weeks and now all the money I saved was gone anyway (and maybe the Universe tried to teach me a lesson about letting the money flow and trust they will come to me again)
Excited
about the coming adventure and the challenge of getting home in this crazy situation
Curious
about the lesson behind this experience
Grateful
regardless of the inconvenience, because I started to see the small miracles in all the chaos:
- Under the broken glass at the seat, the phone I used as a camera with all the footage from my 3 weeks in Florence laid untouched (it was in unusual cover so the thieves probably didn´t realized it was a phone)
- I figured out how to cover the window so I was able to drive and even sleep in the car (not quite safe but it was better than the empty window)
- I was able to explain what happened and get help because I speak Italian so all the years of learning the language just paid off
- I realized it would be much worse if it had rained but it was a sunny day so I appreciated my good luck
- I realized how completely screwed I would be if something like this had happened 20 years ago but now, with all the technology we use these days, I just blocked all the cards immediately and figured out how to pay with my phone so I could get fuel, pay the highway tolls, buy some food, and continue in the trip…
“Just be positive…”
I realized how easy it was to feel grateful and joyful when everything went well. But to stay joyful, calm, and at peace in a situation like this was a completely different experience. And yet, I was able to calm down and trust that everything is happening for a reason, and even THIS was happening FOR me instead of TO me. Mostly, I experience lucky synchronicities. This time, I was the happy synchronicity for someone else who maybe just tries to survive the best they can, and I forgave them.
Everything is a gift
Thanks to this “tragedy”, I was able to experience my own power. I was so proud of myself! That day, I handled a very difficult situation without panicking or complaining. I got home as planned while crossing 2 state borders without documents and sleeping in a car with a broken window. This way, I EXPERIENCED something I had only read about before, heard in podcasts, and even talked about in my online programs:
Your inner state does not have to be controlled by external circumstances
What if the Universe is not always trying to make us comfortable? What if going through challenges doesn´t mean that something goes wrong? Sometimes, the biggest gift is to reveal our own strength, resilience, and ability to trust life even in uncertainty. Now, I’m actually grateful for this experience, and I wouldn’t change a minute of it!
So if you are going through a challenge right now in these chaotic times, I send you all my love. And I also want to remind you of your own inner power. One day, you may look back at this moment stronger, wiser, and more trusting in yourself — and (hopefully) understand why even this was happening FOR you.
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