Where the hell is the gift?

Everything is a gift.

This is a core belief that has been instilled in me over and over again for many years. We have an opportunity to find a gift in each and every situation that presents itself to us. The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it.

“Everything is a gift of the universe – even joy, anger, jealously, frustration, or separateness. Everything is perfect either for our growth or our enjoyment.” -- Ken Keyes Jr.

I'll be the first to admit. It's not always easy to find the gift. It may be buried deep or may take years to reveal itself.

Sometimes it takes an external perspective or coaching to help reveal the gift. It's a line of questioning I refer back to frequently. If this less-than-desirable thing has happened, will happen or must happen, so be it, but where is the gift in it? What can we learn from this? How can we leverage it in the future? What has it revealed to us that we were previously unaware of? How have we grown or changed in response to it?

On a conversation this morning, I've witnessed this scarcity-to-abundance flip unlock a new idea that could turn a loss into a massive win for everyone involved. It was a shift that took place in only a few minutes and yet could have far reaching positive implications.

Some of the best and most unique innovations in recent memory have come as a pivot when one thing seemingly didn't work but it opened up the possibility for something far, far greater than previously imaginable. Interestingly if I was a professional investor, I would definitely figure out how to filter for this mindset in the entrepreneurs I was investing in.

You can't force a gift to reveal itself, but we sure can do our best to be open for when it does.