How To Embrace The Bigger Picture To Find Inner Peace

Ever been floored by a decision that seems unfair, unjust, or plain wrong. 

There’s little worse than feeling like we’ve been wronged, let down or worse…betrayed. 

👉 Maybe a partner left you unexpectedly for someone else

👉 Perhaps you were made redundant from a company you love

👉 Or maybe a friend decided she needed a break from the friendship 

👉 Or Perhaps you were overlooked for a promo you were working towards

Are any of these relatable? If not I’m sure you have your own very personal experience. 

I’m sharing my experience along with an insight that supports me to navigate these moments with more ease.

First, let me set the scene

Around 10 years ago I was in a leadership position in the legal industry

Tragically and unexpectedly my manager was signed off of work indefinitely

I took responsibility for the situation, saw the opportunity and picked up the reins

I covered the role for nearly 18 months before it was clear my manager wasn’t returning

I believed I was leading the team well and I was getting great results

I was asked to apply for the role on a permanent basis 

After a gruelling process, the job was offered to an external candidate

I was devastated. Broken

I loved the job, I loved the team, I loved the role

It was a monumental kick in the teeth

My career vision was shattered

There was so much uncertainty

I had no idea that one day, I’d be grateful for that moment.

I battled on for a year or so carrying resentments, frustration and irritation inside me.

This energy really took its toll mentally, emotionally and physically.

I had fallen into the trap of believing my career would be defined by that moment.

A short while later I applied for a leadership role at another organisation and got the job.

That role led me to an awakening that would change the course of my life.

A single moment that inspired me to start questioning how I was living life.

A short while later a sliding door moment happened where I met my future wife.

Looking back, I can say with 100% certainty that without being rejected for the role I would not have taken the job at the new company.

I would not have experienced my awakening…AND, 

I would not have been right where I needed to be to meet Sarah. 

It sends chills down my spine to consider a life where neither of these events happened because they profoundly shifted the course of my life. 

So I can say with certainty that I was right where I needed to be at every stage of this process. 

👉 I needed the rejection. 

👉 I needed the pain. 

👉 I needed the stress. 

👉 I needed the breakdown/ breakthrough. 

👉 I needed to rebuild. 

👉 I was right where I needed to be at every stage of the process.

Knowing this supports me to believe that whatever I’m going through, no matter how hard, unjust, unfair or wrong it appears to be from my limited perspective, that it’s happening for me. 

I don’t need to be able to see the bigger picture to tap into that belief. 

Just believing the bigger picture is there supports me to find inner peace, ease and simplicity when life seems unsettled, difficult or confusing. 

Sharing this story here and believing it may inspire someone to shift their perspective on a life situation elevates this even further for me.

How about you? 

Can you recall a life situation you judged as ‘bad’, ‘unfair’, ‘unjust’ or ‘wrong’, and when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture of your life you can see it was happening for you, instead of to you? 

Are you in the midst of a challenging life situation that appears to be happening to you? What would change if you started to believe there was a bigger picture, a grand scheme?

Yours in service, 

Graham