Change the meaning (IM 782)

Everything that happens to us can carry different meanings: one that benefits us and one that does not. What happened may already be fixed, but the meaning we assign to it is still within our reach.

There is always a choice in how we interpret an event. One meaning can make us weaker, more bitter, and more defeated. Another can make us stronger, more patient, and more aware. The event itself may be the same, but the meaning changes the way we carry it.

Suppose you get COVID. You cannot control the fact that it already happened. But you can choose how to respond to it. You may see it only as misfortune, frustration, and interruption. Or you may also see it as an experience that teaches patience, perspective, and acceptance. The situation remains difficult, but the meaning you choose can change its effect on your mind.

The meaning that strengthens us is the one worth choosing. If we keep selecting the interpretation that makes us smaller, we remain trapped in what has already happened. But if we choose the meaning that helps us move forward, then even a painful experience can become part of growth.

So everything that happens to us has different meanings, and we should be careful about which one we carry. The event is not always in our control, but the meaning often still is.