When life doesn’t go to plan
Bad news and setbacks can catch us all out from time to time, creeping up on us unexpectedly, sometimes with little or no warning. We may react angrily at first, looking for someone to blame, or shed tears and feel incredulous, wondering, 'why me, what have I done to deserve this?' But life doesn't always go to plan and bad news and setbacks have their role in life. It's not uncommon for people to afterwards reflect and appreciate the lessons learned and valuable connections made through having to deal with those tough times. There are many areas that can be fraught and catch us unawares: The ending of a relationship is one area that is familiar to many of us. Even if the end has been brewing for some time it can still be a shock when the final moments arrive. Healing can take a while, as we reconcile to what's happened, lick our wounds and start to build a new life. It may teach us about ourselves, about what we want and don't want from a relationship, who our friends are. We may need to retreat into ourselves for a while, spend some time on our own. But equally, being in a relationship is an important experience that enables us to learn a lot about ourselves and about living in a world where we have to share and accommodate others.
