Life is a school. Every situation or event contains a lesson for each of us. This is a powerful lesson in itself; for when we approach experience from the perspective that there’s something to be learned, then everything that occurs—however painful, puzzling, or bleak—contains a hidden benefit and useful meaning. This principle was summarized eloquently in Desmond Tutu’s observation about Nelson Mandela that “prison made the man.” From an expanded perspective—which includes an understanding of reincarnation—we can begin to discern an order and purpose behind situations and events. Once we begin to perceive that order and that purpose, it becomes easier to respond to situations in ways that foster our own growth while simultaneously contributing to the development of others.
