A strip of metal once rested comfortably on a low shelf in a factory. It remained there a long time, collecting dust. One day a workman picked it up, carried it to a bench, and began to twist it out of its usual shape.

“Why are you doing this to me?” shouted the alarmed and frightened piece of metal.

“To enable you to see wonders beyond your imagination,” said the workman. “Just now it seems all strange and frightening, but someday you will be very glad. You see, I am turning you into a telescope.”

This story by author and teacher Guy Finley really describes how change and uncertainty feel sometimes — like we’re being twisted out of our usual shape and we don’t understand why.

We like to think that if the Universe is for us, then life will be a certain way. We expect and feel entitled to certain outcomes. If I work my tail off, I’ll be recognized and well compensated. If I do things for other people, they will always appreciate and love me back. If I keep my life neat and organized, I will avoid anxiety and chaos.

But when these things don’t happen, it suddenly shakes our faith. It’s like opening up a Christmas present we hope is the Easy-Bake Oven we asked for, but to our dismay, it’s a brown wool sweater. Rats. Maybe there isn’t a Santa Claus after all.

And oh, how easy it is to slide into the “why me?” and “Oh my God” and “I can’t handle it” stories. But as comfortable as those stories are, they keep us in victim mode and stuck.

Just because an outcome is not the one we want doesn’t mean we’re on the naughty list or that the Universe is conspiring against us. How many times in life has something happened that seemed so painful at the time but led you to a much better situation? Often, the times of our greatest grief end up being the times of greatest growth.

And while the process is uncomfortable to go through, like the piece of metal, we do get through it, much stronger and more capable on the other side.