For more than 100 years, Hollywood has turned out some incredible films. From the earliest black-and-white silent movies to the incredible features we see today, there is truly something for everyone. There are so many different genres—and yet they all have one thing in common: something goes wrong.

Think about your favorite films. When did things get interesting? It was when something unexpected happened. There was an accident, a crime, a misunderstanding, a natural disaster. 

If you were to settle into your chair at a nearby theater with popcorn, snacks, and an overly large soft drink only to watch a movie in which things go along just fine, how long would you sit there? How incredibly boring would it be? I don’t think many people would tolerate such an uneventful movie.

And if it would make a dull movie, it would make a dull life.

It is common for people to yearn to go through life where nothing goes wrong—no challenges at work, no lay-offs, no serious relationship troubles, no health issues, no challenges that make us dig deep and grow in character, wisdom, and all the traits we admire in our movie heroes. But that’s not how life is.

Of course, it’s not necessary to jump for joy when you get a flat tire or rejoice when your child’s teacher requests an impromptu conference. That would be quite a stretch for most of us, myself included. Perhaps that comes in time. For now, can you focus on meeting those challenges without resistance? Can you see it as a plot twist instead—one in which our intrepid heroine (you) will not be undone by the challenges and even crises she faces? You could meet life more openly. You’d be ready to experience and embrace the richness that makes your life the interesting—dare I say, compelling—movie that it is.

It is worth recognizing that it is in those uncomfortable moments when things go wrong that growth happens. It is not a given that we mature, evolve, or become more compassionate by facing life’s challenges. Do you know someone who has simply become embittered by life? Someone that hashes and rehashes their laundry list of how they have been treated unfairly by life to anyone who will listen? These people make their own lives miserable by living in a state of perpetual resistance to life. They are closed off to the opportunities that the challenges present to them. Those moments can be seen as a lovely gift wrapped up in stinky, used butcher paper from a fishmonger’s shop. The outside might be gross and repulsive, but the inside holds a real treasure. In order to access the treasure within, we must get through the offensive wrapping. Refusal to accept and learn from the situation prevents us from receiving the gift.

Thus, the goal isn’t to try to get through life by avoiding as many problems as possible by hiding in a small, boring life. Lessons are here for all of us; we cannot hide from them. But how we meet them is up to us. We cannot control what events happen to us, but we can control how we respond to them. If we are living life in an open way, we accept situations as they are and then we consider if an action or response is required on our part. If it is appropriate to take action, we do so from a place of calm, clear thinking. Our hearts and minds are open to seeing the blessings wrapped inside the undesired circumstance. Often, the gift within the experience doesn’t become clear to us until later—even months or years later. Then, finally, we recognize it and receive it, and we are better, not bitter, for it.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a stellar example of this principle and how we can evolve through the process of learning our lessons. Ebenezer Scrooge is a curmudgeonly old money- lender in London in the mid-1800s. A solitary, stingy man, he refuses to show any mercy to the people struggling to repay him. The monkey wrench in Scrooge’s life comes in the form of a visit on Christmas Eve from the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley explains to Scrooge the error of his mean-spirited ways and tells him he will be visited by three spirits that night, spirits who are meant to save Scrooge’s soul.

At first, Scrooge is closed to the experience and what the spirits show him, but over the course of the night, he comes to see how his heartless business practices affected people and how his lack of appreciation and love for the people in his life was hurtful to them.

By the time the church bells ring the next morning—Christmas morning—Scrooge is indeed a changed man. He accepts the lessons the frightening and unwelcome Christmas spirits offered and awakens, transformed. 

While Scrooge’s transformation is sudden, learning to see the rough patches in life as the opportunities they are is usually a process. Here again, baby steps are the best way forward. Don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations. It shows real progress to come around after losing your cool and recognize that the situation is as it is. With that understanding and acceptance, you’re free to deal with the situation appropriately with little, if any, drama.

Body. Bring awareness to your posture. Are your shoulders slumped forward? Is your head jutting forward from your body? Bring yourself back into alignment, and as you go through your day, check in with yourself. How is your posture? Avoid sitting for long periods, especially in odd positions. Become aware of your body in space and practice good posture. 

Mind. Choose one of your favorite movies and watch it again, observing when the crisis enters the story and how the main character deals with it. Note pivotal moments when profound change takes place. What did the main character learn through the challenges they faced and overcame?

Spirit. Sit comfortably in silence and focus on your breath. Allow your thinking mind to slow and calm. Breathe deeply and slowly. Reflect on challenges you have faced in your life. Is there one that revealed itself as a true blessing later on? What was the gift concealed in the trouble? Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Bring your awareness to those two places—where guidance is often sensed—and nurture a feeling of gratitude for the lessons you have learned and the guidance for the journey.

Reflect on a time when something that initially seemed like a big problem ended up being a blessing. How did it feel in the moment? What blessing was contained in the challenge? How much later did the gift within become apparent?