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Bucknell | Wellness > Mental Health

The Power In Realizing Everything Happens For A Reason

Karina Figueroa Student Contributor, Bucknell University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bucknell chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Stress is something everyone experiences and has to deal with. Although in some situations stress can be a good thing, like when you are stressing over a good grade so the stress motivates you to study, or when a deadline is approaching so you use the stress to lock in, or when it pushes you out of your comfort zone, it is also possible for stress to have negative effects. These consequences can include preventing you from feeling inspired, causing you to burnout, losing confidence in yourself, or just feeling overwhelmed. The phrase “everything happens for a reason” can be a powerful force and mindset that can help transform this negative stress and direct it into positivity. 

I know how it sounds. How can 5 words transform something? Well, these 5 words can change how you think about a situation that used to seem daunting. By changing your attitude, you therefore change how you interpret and react to the situation. Our attitude and mentality have a much larger impact on our actions than we could ever imagine, and sometimes making the change from the 5 words: “why am I experiencing this” to the 5 words: “everything happens for a reason” can make all the difference. These words turn something that seems like a curse or punishment into something that seems like an opportunity: a blessing in disguise. 

I have seen how reminding myself that everything happens for a reason has helped me ease up, feel more relieved, and feel confident in everyday life. I used to be a person who got easily stressed out and felt anxious when I thought things were happening in my life that were out of my control. However, I’ve learned the truth: that we cannot control life or what happens to us. So what can we control? We can control how we react. 

After I started reciting “everything happens for a reason” to myself when I felt like I was losing control, I noticed the whole world seemed to become brighter and I started feeling lighter. When my coach put me in events I wasn’t expecting, instead of letting myself freak out and panic over what could go wrong, I told myself there was a reason these were the events I was put in and focused on how I could perform to my best ability. Sure enough, after the meet, I always ended up seeing why that was what was supposed to happen, even if it took some time before I could see the purpose. The unexpected events forced me out of my comfort zone and made me realize that, when you put in a lot of work, even into something you did not initially think you were good at, you will see results and improvement. At the end of the day, that’s what is most important. The same goes for any other situation I have ever gone through. Whether it was an immediate realization, or even if it took months or maybe years to see the good, every event that made me even a little nervous always turned out to provide me with something better than I could have ever imagined, all while helping me grow. 

Every event we experience has a purpose or effect on our lives, and if we take a step back, we will find that it is what we need, even if we did not know why or how in the moment. So, instead of trying to fight the inevitable, or wasting time worrying about things that are out of our control, because no amount of worrying will give us power over the uncontrollable aspects of our lives, we should trust that it is what was meant to happen and try to make the best of it. Living our lives in this manner is guaranteed to boost our spirits and encourage us to feel prepared to take on the world. 

I have first-handedly experienced the power of realizing everything happens for a reason. I would no longer describe myself as an anxious person, but rather as someone who looks for the good in everything and does my best with whatever is given to me. This new mindset has helped transform me into a happier person who appreciates life more, which has, in turn, made me feel free and confident. 

“Everything happens for a reason” is something everyone should live by, or at least reflect, on in order to cope with the uncertainties of the world. It is truly a power to be able to accept mishaps in our lives and use them to our advantage, ultimately building us up instead of letting them tear us down. 

Karina Figueroa

Bucknell '30

Karina is a current First- Year at Bucknell University. She is a psychology major from Phoenxiville, PA. Karina has grown up loving reading and writing, whether about more serious topics like mental health and discussing the importance of caring for yourself and staying positive, or fun topics like music and friends. She swam competitively for the last 10 years but has decided to not continue in college, choosing a more relaxed route of swimming on her own time. In her free time, she also loves going to the gym or taking a workout class like barre.