Lyden's Life Lessons: Why?


Why? Why me? What did I do to deserve this?

We have all cried out "Why?" at some point in our lives -- and if you haven't, may I ask what's your secret? We want to know answers; we want to be prepared -- to know it all and why it happened.

I struggle with asking "Why me?" on both a positive and negative basis daily. I want to know why things happen and what I did to deserve such things whether they are positive or negative.

This week, my team and I had our district meet -- the "district of death," if you will. I am sad to announce that I will not be continuing on to regionals next week -- the first time in my career -- but this is not the end.

After the race, I couldn't stop but ask "Why me? Why us?" We as a team had one of our best races of the year. I, although my time was slower than this year's personal record, was on top of my game mentally. I had put everything I had into the race -- applied every life lesson, but I still came up short.

Don't Ask Why

So, why me? Why didn't I make it? I thought I did everything right. So, what happened that made it all go wrong?

What I'm learning is that "Why me?" is a useless question that we ask because it will never be answered -- at least in a way that's constructive. We want it to be answered, but who can answer it for us? Rather, who will answer it for us?

We are not to know why things happen, but we are to know what we can learn from those things. For me, I need to learn to trust -- to trust that there is a plan, one I cannot see -- and I don't need to know why that plan is what it is if I can learn from the results.

It is so easy to ask "Why?" It's so easy to feel hopeless and pity for yourself. It's so easy to bring yourself down.

But what good does that do? What good does asking why with no answer do? Absolutely nothing.

I encourage you, if you find yourself asking why, turn it around and ask what can I learn?

The world is our oyster. We can either ask "Why?" or ask "What can I learn from it?"

From today on, I'm going to choose to ask what can I learn. I am going to trust in the plan that has been set before me. This will keep me motivated to keep striving toward my goals.

As always, be brave, dream on, and trust in the plan that is rightfully yours.

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