What's Good About Bad?

One of the exercises I was given to strategize for the new year, was to go over things that happened last year, both good and bad, and think about what was good in all of them. It's easy to pick out the good In the good things that happened but what about the bad things that happened? What's good about bad?

Well, when bad things happen I always learn something from the experience. When bad things are happening I always pray (to God, not the universe) and ask, "What am I supposed to be learning from this?"

I was at a tradeshow last year where I hardly sold anything. The show was three days long, so my days where very slow. Instead of being depressed and discouraged, I looked around and really studied other people's booths to see what was working for them. I spent the three hour drive home thinking about new ideas for my own booth. Even though the show was not profitable in the monetary sense, I considered it very beneficial. I found good in the bad.

One Scripture that has been very meaningful in my life is Romans 8:28: 

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

This has reassured me many times when things aren't working out as I hoped. I know that nothing that happens is in vain. There is a purpose and that purpose will be for my good in the long run. This helps me to see the positive in things or the possibility of the positive in things.

Don't focus on the negative. Look for good things in the bad.