Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes it can feel like everything is going wrong. It’s during these challenging times that many people turn to their spiritual beliefs for guidance and solace. But what does it mean when everything seems to be falling apart? How can we find spiritual meaning in the midst of chaos and adversity? In this article, we will explore the concept of finding spiritual meaning when everything goes wrong and discover ways to navigate through difficult times with resilience and faith.
Understanding the Nature of Challenges
We can find the spiritual meaning in challenges and obstacles by examining them more deeply.
In The Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that one’s most sacred duty is not to give up on one’s karma. He speaks of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas—three gunas or qualities that are inherent in all of us. Sattva represents balance, Rajas represents aggression and Tamas represents inertia. None of these qualities are inherently better than the other, they just are, and each quality has its important place in life.
When we face challenges, we need to stay in balance. We need to take action and remain calm. We need to know when it’s time to rest and when we need to fight. Instead of railing against them, we can start by analyzing where we are and how we feel. Considering the position of our thoughts or feelings can help us understand what lesson this challenge has come to teach us.
Is this challenge here to teach you patience? Does it serve as a warning that you’re not on the right path? Is it a wake-up call for you to realize your deepest desires? Are you at a crossroads because there’s an opportunity you’re ignoring? Asking yourself these questions will help you to pause and take stock of the situation you’re facing.
When we analyze our current status without letting our emotions rule us, the solution often becomes clear. We are often more powerful than we think we are. We can let nature take its course without feeling like chaos is reigning supreme over us.
Spiritual practices can help us understand the nature of our challenges and provide us with guidance. Mindfulness and meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety so you can think more clearly. Journaling can help you identify patterns in your life that keep leading to the same types of challenges.
Spiritual reading can also point you in the right direction. It’s possible that someone before you has encountered the same challenge. Their words might be able to guide you through your path—or at least give you comfort during a difficult time.
Embracing the Power of Acceptance
Even when we can reframe our thinking around a difficult life experience, there are still going to be some situations that are simply beyond our control. This is when we need to find the power of acceptance.
This doesn’t mean giving up. It’s not about throwing in the towel and admitting defeat. In fact, learning to accept things as they are is not as much about the situation itself but about our resistance to it.
Because bad things happen in life. Accepting that doesn’t make us pessimists or naïve. It makes us human. When we’re able to accept this as truth, it helps us let go of the resistance we have to the bad things happening around us.
It releases us from the mental and emotional battle against the bad thing.
This isn’t an easy or quick shift. Acceptance is a process and a practice—it’s not something that happens overnight with a little effort. It requires patience and perseverance.
One way to find acceptance in tough times is through spirituality. Oftentimes, you’ll hear someone say something like, “I’m angry at God.”
When we believe in a higher power or something larger than ourselves, it can be easy to place blame at its feet when bad things happen.
But turning toward spirituality during hard times can actually help us come to a place of acceptance. It’s hard to change our perspective on something when we’re looking at it through a lens of negativity and fear—but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
In fact, our spirituality can help us reframe our thinking, find acceptance and embark on the path toward discovering how everything could be right.
Meditation is a good starting point for finding acceptance, especially if you already have an established practice. While it may seem counterintuitive to sit with your feelings during meditation, doing so can help your release resistance and bring acceptance into your life.
Similarly, praying on an issue can help you connect with your spirituality and invite in hope. Acceptance is only possible once you’re able to say “yes” to what’s happening around you—and that taking action doesn’t necessarily help.
Finding Meaning in Surrender
Even if you understand that all the upheaval is necessary it can be difficult to embrace the process. It can feel like being dragged across concrete. You might want to dig in and resist the flow.
But when you resist you suffer more. It’s like trying to swim against a strong current to get to the other side of a river. But if you let go and float you might hit your head on a few rocks, but you’ll also flow around them.
The only way through upheaval with minimum pain is by cultivating acceptance and surrender. This might sound passive, but it isn’t. Acceptance is about acknowledging what’s happening. Instead of insisting on the ideal, it opens the door for us to explore how to create a new ideal from our current reality.
Surrender is another word that’s often misunderstood. It’s not about putting your head in the sand and waiting for everything to pass. Instead, it’s about taking positive action from a place of patience and discernment. It can help us find meaning in our experience when we’re going through times of upheaval.
A few years ago, I had some big financial losses. I’d been living off of the money I’d accumulated over the years as an investment banker and had cultivated a strong relationship with my financial advisor. He was so impressed by my business savvy he wanted to talk about me buying some stocks.
In that moment, I told him I was busy and I’d call him later. But after I hung up I got a strong feeling in my body that told me not to do it.
For whatever reason, instead of following up with my advisor (who was persistent) I began paying off all of my bills instead. It wasn’t until a few years later that everything went south financially and I was no longer able to work with him.
At the time, I had no idea why I felt so strongly about paying off my bills at that time. But as things began to unravel, those paid off bills were one less thing on my plate during a very difficult time in my life.
They allowed me to keep moving forward even while it seemed like there was no bottom for me to land on. As much as I detested the experience, it led me down a path that gave me so much more than it took away from me.
Practicing Gratitude in Difficult Times
Our greatest tests often come when the universe seems to be against us. It can feel impossible to find any semblance of hope, and we end up wanting to do nothing but sulk or rage at the world. Channeling your energy into gratitude can still help you find a spiritual connection.
Start Small
Be kind to yourself and don’t expect to shift your entire mindset overnight. Start with small steps that will help you slowly transition towards practicing gratitude, you may find that working with smaller goals or tasks can actually help you stay focused on the bigger picture.
Meditate on Gratitude
When you’re feeling vulnerable or overwhelmed, it can help to take a step back and appreciate what is going right in your life. You don’t have to be going through an incredibly difficult time to meditate on gratitude—simply being more aware of your blessings will bring a sense of calm.
And the best part? It takes no time at all! This 10 minute meditation will guide you in focusing on your breath and creating a gratitude practice that fits in perfectly with your daily schedule.
Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First
Gratitude feels impossible when everything is crashing down around you. So give yourself some space for healing before diving headfirst into gratitude. When we focus too much on our negative thoughts, we’re lowering our vibrations, making it difficult for us to access our higher selves and find areas for spiritual growth.
You can still love yourself while embracing negativity, and it’s okay to express your emotions rather than try to cover them up by practicing gratitude.”
Be Consistent with Your Practice
If you consider yourself a victim because everything feels like it’s falling apart around you, you’ll never be able to embrace the things you have going for yourself. Start with just one thing every day, whether it’s something as simple as “the sun is shining” or something a little deeper like “I have food on my table.” It might feel forced at first, but “faking it til you make it” is a real thing!
The Transformative Power of Forgiveness
We all know the tale of Jesus Christ. He was a kind, compassionate healer who drew people to him. At first, it was just the sick and downtrodden. But over time, his message spread to all God’s children.
Of course, the world was a different place back then. With geopolitical turmoil and religious upheaval, it was difficult to find a sense of comfort or peace. But Jesus offered people a message of renewal and salvation. He preached that people should forgive each other…with no stipulations.
It didn’t matter whether or not someone deserved forgiveness. It didn’t matter if they had lived a life of sin. You were supposed to forgive others regardless of circumstances.
That might seem like a difficult message to carry out in real life. You might even feel that forgiveness is impossible, especially when someone has hurt you deeply.
But we overlook the transformative power of forgiveness too often. When we embrace this message, we open our hearts and souls to something so much greater than ourselves. We become more empathetic, patient individuals who possess a deeper understanding of humanity.
It might seem like this only benefits others. But in reality, it offers a much greater benefit to you as well.
When you harbor anger, resentment or pain, it can have a devastating effect on your spiritual well-being. It might even start to manifest in physical ways, such as chronic pain or fatigue.
But when you let go of these negative emotions and allow yourself to forgive others…you are freeing your soul from that repetitive cycle of negativity.
When you embrace a message of forgiveness during trying times, you are releasing negative energy and inviting positive energy into your life.
Finding the courage to forgive can lead to healing and new growth that you never thought possible.
As author and soul healer Michael Bernard Beckwith stated in an interview with Oprah: “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”
Connecting with Spiritual Community
Many spiritual people feel isolated from their communities because of their discomfort around traditional religious practices or the skepticism that sometimes accompanies spiritual conversations.
But no one should have to experience profound challenges without a spiritual support network. Support systems help us persevere when times are tough, so it’s important for spiritual people to help each other find community.
To connect with like-minded people during tough times, start by looking for spiritually oriented organizations and events. For instance, you could join a meditation group in your area or sign up for a yoga class. You could also attend workshops or events at local spiritual stores and seek out people who share your interest in the topics that resonate most with you.
If it’s difficult for you to make local connections, you can also foster relationships through online communities. For instance, you might subscribe to a spiritual publication or join social media groups and forums that align with your interests.
When seeking a support network, look for people who can show up for you authentically while embracing your true self. You should also aim to do the same for others and help them find comfort in their toughest moments.
Once you’ve connected with other spiritual people—who may be best friends, a new romantic partner or someone else entirely—look for meaningful ways to support each other. You might check in with each other every day, conduct self-care rituals together, set shared intentions or offer a listening ear when the other person needs it most. You might even use tarot cards, astrology and other sacred tools and rituals to deepen your bond.
While fostering relationships within the spiritual community can be incredibly powerful and healing, don’t underestimate the impact of professional support if you’re struggling to get through tough times. There are therapists and other professionals who specialize in spiritual counseling and are equipped to offer the assistance you need.
Engaging in Self-Reflection and Inner Work
For some, finding spiritual meaning in hard times may come naturally, but others might need some direction in processing what they’re experiencing. Sometimes, engaging in different activities can help some people figure out things. To fill the void left by confusion and hopelessness, you can direct more of your energy and attention towards other things. Doing so often leads to a more positive attitude and a richer understanding of what you are going through. Here are a couple of practices you might want to explore:
Meditation
Thanks to its simplicity, meditation is one of the most accessible spiritual practices out there. That’s because this practice requires very little aside from time and focus. But that’s not to say that meditation is an easy practice. While it may appear to be simple enough, achieving a state of mental calm and awareness can be quite challenging. It takes plenty of practice and patience before you can reap the full benefits of meditation.
The good news is, there are many types of meditation you can try. So if you struggle with one type, you can easily switch to another that might suit you better.
Journaling
Journaling is another activity that encourages the processing of your thoughts and emotions. Writing out what you feel or what’s on your mind is an effective way to release pent-up feelings. As much as journaling is about self-expression, it also provides an opportunity for self-reflection. Revisiting past entries can give you insight into how much progress you’ve made or how much your perspective has changed.
In this digital age, there are plenty of online journals you can choose from if you prefer typing over handwriting on paper.
Creative expression
Some people find it easier to express themselves through art rather than words alone. One doesn’t always have to have profound insights to go through a spiritual experience. Sometimes simply going through the motions itself is enough. Engaging in the creation of something new gives you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Recognizing your capacity to create helps restore what has been lost.
Finding Strength in Prayer and Meditation
Prayer and meditation are actually pretty similar activities. They both involve focusing your thoughts, closing your eyes and blocking out distractions.
You don’t need to be religious to find value in prayer or meditation. The only difference between the two is that prayer often involves speaking or thinking to a higher power.
Meditation offers similar benefits and can help you slow down and get grounded. It also teaches you how to observe your thoughts without judgment. Ultimately, prayer and meditation help you connect to your spiritual self, as well as the collective energy of the universe.
Power of Prayer
Regardless of your religious beliefs, you’ve probably prayed for something at some point in your life. You might have asked for guidance in making a tough decision or for hope in a desperate situation. Or you might have prayed for someone else who was experiencing a hardship or health concern.
Research has found that prayer can lead to reduced stress, anxiety and depression through increased feelings of social support. Many people find comfort in knowing that someone else is thinking about them and keeping them in their prayers.
The link between prayer and action
While praying can have a profound impact on your mental health and well-being, it’s important to also take action. A 2019 study found that there’s a strong link between prayer and social action.
In the study, researchers asked participants how much time they spent praying and interacting with others about social issues. People who spend time with their faith-based communities talking about social issues are more likely to also take social action. This supports the idea that prayer can motivate people to take positive action in their lives.
Meditation Matters
The goal of meditation is to free your mind from thoughts so you’re present in the moment. Like prayer, there are many different types of meditation techniques you can explore until you find what works best for you.
Sitting quietly while focusing on your breath is one of the most popular forms of meditation. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them without getting attached before returning your attention back to your breath.
A 2013 study found that meditators show an increase in brain matter linked to impulse control, compassion, introspection and self-awareness. Another study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that brief loving-kindness meditation sessions over seven days led to increased feelings of love, connection and happiness.
In conclusion, finding spiritual meaning when everything goes wrong is not about denying the hardships or pretending that everything is fine. It is about embracing the challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. By reconnecting with our spiritual beliefs and practices, we can find strength, hope, and guidance to navigate through the toughest of times. Let us remember that even in the darkest moments, there is always a glimmer of light waiting to be discovered.
