Setbacks with a purpose

I was recently listening to a thoughtful interview with the wonderful Finnish singer Arja Saijonmaa. The conversation touched on something we can all relate to — life’s inevitable setbacks.

She said something that really stayed with me. That every difficulty, no matter how overwhelming it might feel in the moment, often turns out to have a hidden purpose when we look back. What seems like a dead end can, with time, reveal itself to be a necessary detour — something that led us somewhere we never would have gone otherwise.

Our mistakes, the things we regret or wish we could undo (like deleting blogs, in my case 🙃), often become the very moments that shape us. They force us to reflect, to grow, and sometimes lead us onto new and exciting paths.

They can be painful, but also powerful.

I think that’s something most of us recognize in our own lives, if we look closely. Almost every obstacle we’ve faced has, sooner or later, become a stepping stone. Not without effort, but in some way they provide valuable insights and shape who we are and what we become.

What feels like failure today might end up being the thing that sets us on a new, better path. And in that sense, setbacks aren’t just necessary — they can be blessings in disguise.