In each of our lives we are faced with events that seem inexplicable, unjust, even cruel—events that can shatter our perception of the world, our understanding of ourselves, and our faith in a higher power. Friends and family members often offer comfort with “Everything happens for a reason”—a simple, common phrase with an unbearably elusive meaning.

In Everything Happens for a Reason, psychotherapist Mira Kirshenbaum helps us understand the principles behind this frequently used phrase and provides us with tools to grasp its true meaning. According to Kirshenbaum, there is significance to each of the events in our lives. We all can discover meaning in what has happened to us—seeing such occurrences as gifts, lessons, or opportunities that we might not have been able to get any other way. Building on more than twenty-five years of clinical research, Kirshenbaum has developed tests to help readers decode the confusing or unfortunate events in their lives and find solace and strength in the positive outcomes that exist.

Kirshenbaum offers ten universal reasons for the tragedies in our lives, among them letting go of fear, radically accepting ourselves, becoming a truly good person, finding forgiveness, and discovering our mission.

While coming to terms with unexpected loss and disappointment is never easy, Everything Happens for a Reason empowers readers to embrace the positive and comprehend the specific message that is larger and more powerful than their grief.