“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hand.” – Richard Bach

Without problems life would be very dull. What if we invite in problems as ways to teach us to grow? Some problems we’d rather not have. Regina, a woman I met recently at a workshop, has multiple sclerosis. She walks with a cane. She’s young and attractive and her beaming smile revealed her attitude about life. I’m sure she has hard days, but instead of becoming bitter and angry and asking, “why me?” she has decided to use the challenge as a way to learn more about her spirit. Her courage is an inspiration and a reminder for me not to lament.

Allen Klein, author of The Healing Power of Humor, used loss of his wife as a way to learn and inspire others. He notes that a common theme among all people who deal well with loss and problems is that they perceive the difficulties as gifts. They look for the good, the God, even in the tough challenges. “When one door of happiness closes, another door opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us,” wrote Helen Keller. What doors are opening for you today? Will you cross the threshold and pass through?

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.debramoffitt.com and http://www.awakeintheworld.com.