It’s Not What Happens To You. It’s How You React To It

By Valerie Nifora, Guest Contributor and bicultural first generation mom of Greek descent married to a man that is not. She is a mother of two wonderful boys.

 

There have been a few moments in my life that have given me reason to pause. Those few moments when the news you are hearing is so unbelievably bad, that you often wonder if you’re in the middle of a bad dream or reality.

The latest bit of bad news I received, I remember staring out my window and noting that the leaves were blowing on the trees outside. The universe was peaceful. The person on the phone was telling me what she was required to say, and I wonder if she paused at all to note if I was listening, or if the leaves were blowing outside her window. 

It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you react to it.

The wonderful thing about bad news is it gives you that precious moment to pause; to reflect; to wonder. It is fantastic how once delivered–bad news allows everything in life to quickly takes it’s priority as your mind shuffles the content and processes it. Mostly, it allows you to change; to grow; to evolve; to become– in that very instant of hearing it. It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you react to it.

And for me, personally, I can count the number of people on one hand, that once hearing my bad news, were there to catch me; to uphold me; to comfort me; to help me. How priceless these people; these fantastic walking angels that can lift up a spirit that otherwise would find nothing but despair. It’s not what happens to you. It’s how others react to it. 

And you, upon reading this, probably know of a person who has recently been delivered bad news and I ask you, what will be your reaction? For it is within our capacity as human beings to transcend and reach out. It is within our capacity to be that soft place to land. For in all our lives at one point or another, we will fall.

As I type this, my beautiful children are sleeping. And I do want them to understand that in life it is your reaction to others that matters most. It’s not what happens to you… 

Photo: freedigitalphotos.net

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