When I was a child, I loved rainbows. Like most young girls, I drew them on just about anything I could find. I loved having all the bright colors reaching through the sky, with the sun glowing down on them. My drawings always had a big pot of gold at the end of the arch. I imagined those rainbows would bring me to that pot of gold.
My pot of gold is also your pot of gold. It’s our happiness, our success, our joy, our prosperity. It’s the compilation of all our dreams, goals, and desires becoming real.
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sang about a land far above the clouds where her dreams came true, where there were no problems, and life was sweet. She knew this rainbow would lead her to wonderful places and experiences far beyond her imagination. It was within reach.
Somewhere over the rainbow;
Skies are blue—
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true!
Rainbows are beautiful and can create happiness for those who see them. But, as wonderful as these rainbows really are, do you know how they’re created? By rain! Lots and lots of rain! Sometimes even storms produce these beautiful, almost magical rainbows.
Storms can be harsh and damaging. Rain is not much better; it’s wet, dismal, and often cold. It’s not much fun to be out in this kind of weather, or have to suffer through a rainy, miserable day. On those days, you might want to stay at home in bed with the covers pulled over your head.
I urge you, however, to get out of bed; don’t miss out on that rainbow! The only time to see a rainbow is after the storm is over.
In other words, you have to experience a lot of rain in order to see a rainbow. Wouldn’t you agree that may also be true in real life?
We all have challenges, or rainy days. Some days it’s just a light, wet rain. Other times it’s like a hurricane whipping up through our lives, and destroying everything it touches. The storms will come. It will rain a lot!
Even though we may prefer sunshine over rain, at some point we realize that it is the “down days” that can bring us to new places of understanding and wisdom. We can use these times to consciously practice “flipping over” our anger to understanding and forgiveness, and our sadness to joy and gratitude. This simple exercise has the power to transform those challenging situations.
Think of challenges as a “means to an end.” We will struggle, we will have trouble, we will cry, we will hurt; nothing will change that. But, if we see those trials as opportunities to bring us closer to what we want to be, do, and have in life, then it makes everything so much easier.
It is the “rain” that produces our “rainbows,” and our storms that bring us to a state of appreciation for the beauty of that greater plan. This plan is designed to help us grow and learn from our mistakes. And, “believe it or not,” it is this grand plan that will bring us to the land of rainbows where dreams really do come true.
Don’t just wish for this golden place and don’t try to convince yourself that only other people’s dreams come true. Believe that your rainbow will bring you to your pot of gold. Stop running from the rain and start running to your rainbow!
Get out your umbrella because you’re definitely going to need it. Get a rain coat, and maybe some galoshes. Do whatever you need to, in order to prepare for those storms, so you will move through them with courage and confidence.
Have some fun, too, on those rainy days. Jump in the puddles! Try to find the good in every challenging situation. Focus on the end result and keep your mind set on your “rainbow.”
