Alan and I were done with work and decided to meet at Mrs. Bradley’s garden in the evening. He got ice tea and as we sipped the tea, we enjoyed the breeze that swept across the city. I played some music and sat on the hammock! We both talked about how the week had been.

I could figure out that Alan was a bit disturbed. “What happened? You look disturbed!” I expressed.

“You know Bob, just when things were going right and I was about to get the new project, it got canceled. Why is it always like this? Like when things are finally happening there comes an unexpected twist? I mean why can’t it be good all the time?” He expressed a lot of disgust.

I let him speak! I understood where he was coming from but that’s how life is! He needed to embrace it however it was. Hug week is here and before saying anything I gave him a tight hug.

“Tell me something now if you get a call right that you have a bigger project, how would you react?” I asked.

“I would of course feel ecstatic! This would be such a nice surprise!” He replied.

“When you embrace surprises without resisting then why can’t you accept the lows too? Highs and lows go hand in hand! It’s all a part and parcel of life! We can’t predict or control them. But, we can learn how to embrace the challenges or delays in a positive light!” I expressed.

“Bob, who wants to face the lows? It feels too bad!” He said.

“I know it is not easy but that’s how it is! Look at the brighter side! The good things give us joy and push us to go ahead in life. The challenging experiences give us a chance to learn and evolve. It gives us a chance to work harder. It also teaches us to value the good times and cherish the blessings,” I said.

“Ummm…in that case what should be the first thought in our mind?” He asked.

“By knowing and having faith that something better than this is on its way!” I said and smiled. Alan smiled and nodded. He was calm and started seeing this situation in a positive light. Then, we continued the rest of the evening with good music and ice tea.

Life is full of ups and downs. But, that is what makes it worth living. The unexpected twists add a different flavor that helps us to evolve. The essence lies in embracing and not resisting. We need to be optimistic! Only then will we be able to enjoy and experience life beautifully.