by Cortney Litwin

Have you ever had a painful experience that turned into a blessing, much to your surprise? The old saying, "Everything happens for a reason" is indeed true. There is a plan to your life, and your soul knows that -- even if you've forgotten it.

Admittedly, it takes a degree of conscious awareness to perceive the imminent blessing when you're in the throes of an agonizing breakup, job loss or other trauma. In hindsight, of course, you can see the good that came out of the crisis. An obvious example is having your boyfriend leave you, only to find your future husband (a much better choice!) later on.

Still, wouldn't it be nice to get a glimmer of the light during the darkest part of the journey? Perhaps just knowing there is a blessing at the end of a painful journey is enough. So have a little faith that the Universe has a plan for you. As another saying goes, "God (however you perceive it) doesn't close a door without opening another."

The following stories are true, and it is my wish that they'll help you find your own blessings-in-disguise.

"He dumped me!"
Ellen describes the dramatic breakup with her fiancé -- and the equally dramatic turnaround:

"My fiancé left me at a Malibu wedding of mutual friends - for the maid of honor! She was an heiress to an estate that was worth billions. I was just his hard-working, college girlfriend who had stuck by him for seven years through a life-threatening bout with cancer. We shared a beautiful flat in an expensive city I could not afford on my own, and I had just quit my corporate job to go back to graduate school (our agreed-upon plan). After quietly leaving the wedding before cutting the cake, I flew back to our apartment to lie on his grandmother's discarded velvet sofa, looking out at a stunning - but now cold -- skyline through expansive front windows. The cat stayed close by as I cried through two sunsets -- and then realized for sure that he wasn't coming home. I thought there was no way to pick up the pieces of my sad life -- I had no job, no soulmate, a group of friends who had betrayed me - and an apartment I had to get out of. Little did I know that the Universe had just given me the biggest break of my life!

"As they say, hindsight is 20-20! Fast-forward five years . . . I live in a classic 1920s Hollywood apartment, and work as a journalist in the entertainment industry. I travel around the world for my job, and I interview famous people. I have interesting -- and satisfying - lovers in more than one port, and I am living a life I never imagined existed (especially for me!). If my life had not fallen apart at that time, my meager existence would have been so serious and responsibility-ridden, with an impulsive man who could not pull his weight (or worse, would have left me with children). I am now married to a man I adore who makes me laugh and feel like the most amazing person on earth every minute of every day -- and that is not an exaggeration. Today, I am so grateful to have been left in a trail of tears at a Malibu wedding!"

Sometimes a breakup doesn't spell the end of a relationship. Instead, it brings about a necessary transformation. Sherri in Thousand Oaks, California, explains:

"My fiancé broke our engagement last year, due to problems we couldn't solve, and he was unwilling to go into relationship counseling. After being separated for three months, he realized how much he loved me and needed me. We went to counseling and worked out our differences. If we hadn't broken up, we wouldn't be happy today."

Death's doorstep
Kathi tells of the blessings awaiting her at the end of a harrowing battle with cancer:

"Breast cancer turned out to be my blessing in disguise. On some level there was a part of me that for years wasn't really sure I wanted to continue living. After 27 trips to the hospital, beginning in 2005 -- one of which which turned into a two-month stay - I was probably as close to death as anyone ever is. One day in an over-medicated state, I just said, 'I'm done, God. I can't do this anymore. Take me home.' The next day, my health began improving."

For Kathi, one startling outcome of her illness, she said, was the "recognition that people, even many I did not know, cared enough about me to pray for me." But perhaps the most profound blessing was her spiritual awakening. "Today I recognize that my thoughts, feelings and spiritual connection are all connected to my physical well-being. I'm a new woman as a result of a close call with death.... there is a God, or Universal Truth, and I am a part of it."

Fork in the road
What happens when you want something desperately, but your destiny pushes you in a different direction? That's what happened to me over a job I had my heart set on two years ago. I'd just finished my bachelor's degree in professional writing when I spotted an opening that was an excellent fit for my skills. It was as a communications specialist for a cruise-ship company. What's more, it was just four miles from my home. Perfect! (or so I thought). I interviewed twice for the job, but alas, it went to someone else. I was confused and disappointed, thinking my inner direction was off. Then just a week later, I got a call out of the blue from a company that produces New Age content for online newsletters and Internet radio shows (I had done some small writing jobs for them in the past).

To my delight, I was immediately hired as the co-host of an Internet astrology show and wound up writing astrology articles for them as well. Needless to say, the communications job, which entailed writing news updates about the company (so unappealing in hindsight!), wouldn't have used my metaphysical expertise, which is my life's work. Now, combining my writing and metaphysical skills has become my dream job - the job crisis was a true blessing in disguise.

Obviously (or not so obviously, sometimes), what we want isn't always the best outcome for our path. It may take a leap of faith, but when seemingly bad things happen, just remember that you're where you need to be, and there's a blessing waiting for you -- just around the corner.

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