“The way I see it if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain,” says Dolly Parton. The storms of life aren’t fun. They catch you unprepared. They ask you to be flexible with your plans.

When they do arrive though, there’s always this promise or hope of a rainbow after the storm. A rainbow–something beautiful, something magical.

Choose what grows you, not what stagnates you

When the storms of life arrive, you always have the choice to grow, to strengthen, and to bloom through the struggle. You have the choice to look for the solutions to your problems. On any given moment, you have the choice to forgive yourself when you walk away from the path of love. 

Don’t give up, don’t give in

The jewel of your life is the inner light that you share out into the world through your voice, your actions, and your words. Don’t let your inner light give up, especially when the storms of life arrive. Don’t let your inner light give into the ideas of the world that don’t bring you happiness and peace.

Love your life

When the storms of life arrive, it’s easy to forget that your days on earth are numbered, that despite the struggle you have the most beautiful thing, your life.

Through awareness, you stop blaming the outside world for the suffering in your life, and you start holding yourself accountable for the many ways in which you can positively affect your life–even if little by little.

What does it take to live your most vibrant and radiant life? What brings you peace? What brings you joy?

A rainbow awaits you after you face life’s challenges. The challenge always means to lead you to a beautiful or magical truth about life.

The question will always be, are you willing to grow, to keep going, and to be honest with yourself, so that you can see the wisdom that the challenge brings?