Is it a good sign or a bad sign?

Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning?

Is something we experience a good sign because it gives us comfort or a bad sign because it doesn’t push us to go beyond our comfort zone? Is life bad because awful things happen in the world or is it good because we have the power to make changes which would make the world a better place? It’s near impossible to decipher if things are a good or bad sign, if they’re a sign to persevere or change course, if they’re a sign that they’ll strengthen us or break us. And even in hindsight, how can we know if the sign was what we perceived it to be and the actions we took were the best or worst we could take?

Do we experience pain as a good sign that the body’s getting stronger or a bad sign because the body is getting ill? Is it good to feel invincible or is it a sign that one has become numb to something terribly wrong?

Is it good to showcase emotions or is it dangerous to expose oneself laying bare all the vulnerabilities? Is it good to keep everything bottled inside or does holding our emotions act as a pressure cooker that will end up bursting with steam at unpredictable moments?

Is it good to get along with everyone or does that make us pushovers? Is it good to stand our ground or is it risky to sacrifice relationships for principles?

“Good sign” or “bad sign” depends on the results of the actions we have taken. Maybe we should have stuck through the pain, hid our sadness and become stronger in our solitude. Maybe we should have stopped before we got injured, expressed our anger and compromised on some of our principles to be with our loved ones. Perhaps we shouldn’t be looking at these events as good or bad, they may just be information in the bigger picture of life.

We weren’t born to experience a pain-free life, we weren’t born to be happy forever, we weren’t born with a guarantee for a life amongst people who love and respect us. We were born to experience life, with all its challenges, the motivation to overcome hardships and the humility to help those around us in their struggles. We came to experience the good, the bad and the ugly, in which ever way they present themselves and prevail to experience the beauty that is life.