Hello , my fellow brave human

Do you ever ask yourself why bad things happen to good people? Or even - why me?

I’ve been reflecting on this over the last week, sparked by a wonderful conversation with one of the members of The Brave Collective that has left me pretty humbled. 

A few weeks ago, Gisela and her family lost everything in a house fire. Everything. 

When I rang her last week for a catch up, I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

What I did find was an incredibly serene and philosophical person at the other end of the phone.

I’ve known Gisela for many years. She is Scotland’s leading Jikiden Reiki specialist, with a brilliant entrepreneurial mind and attitude. She trained myself and my mum in the practice. It has been a valuable tool in my own tool box ever since.

Whilst Gisela has mentored and practiced reiki on me, I have over the last few years mentored Gisela through different business decisions. And I was so pleased when she joined The Brave Collective to drive her brilliant ideas forward. 

There have been several leaps forward and then a couple of steps back - all with grace. She has faced frustrations and barriers when seeking investment, and then when the building she had rented and lovingly renovated for her healthcare practice was sold. 

She has spent the last few months bravely retracting from various responsibilities so she could take stock for her next move forward. 

And then her home burned down. 

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“Imagine if I’d had a whole building and investment to manage on top of everything else right now?”

She has had a huge realisation. Everything she has gone through with her business has been building up to this moment. But not for her business. For her life. This was where everything she has learned over the last few years was coming together. 

And because of how she’s responded – with grace, groundedness, and an unwavering faith in everything and everyone – people have rallied around her and her family in the most extraordinary ways. 

‘Two colonels’ immediately housed them and helped strategise next steps. 

‘Two professors’ offered their beautiful home while they’re working in Nebraska. They move in next month for the duration of the house rebuild. A beautiful, new home that will be energy efficient and warm.

The Jikiden Reiki community came together to crowdfund for legal fees.

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What strikes me most isn’t just the kindness of others, but Gisela’s deep knowing that this wasn’t happening to her – it was just simply happening, and her response is what matters.

We often interpret challenging events as evidence that we’re being punished, that we’ve somehow failed to be ‘good enough.’ 

But what if that’s not it at all? What if sometimes things just happen, and within that happening lies an invitation to discover strengths we didn’t know we had, connections we couldn’t have imagined, and a faith that runs deeper than circumstances?

I’m not suggesting we should welcome trauma or pretend everything is wonderful when it’s not. 

We must acknowledge trauma when it happens and for what it is. 

But also acknowledge that resilience – that quiet, steady strength we’ve been building through all our previous challenges – might actually be preparing us for moments we can’t yet see.

And something amazing might be at the other side of it.

Perhaps instead of shaking our fist at the universe and shouting “Why me?”, maybe we ask “How do I respond?” And “What might this be preparing me for?”

Our resilience isn’t accidental. Our capacity to navigate uncertainty wasn’t developed in vain. 

The strength we’ve built through every challenge we’ve faced – it’s all been preparing us for whatever comes next.

Trust that. 

Trust yourself. 

And trust that your response to whatever life brings is where your real power lies.

So, bad things don’t happen to good people. Sh*t just happens.

How you respond is what makes the difference.  

Here’s to your brilliance,

Kirsty x

P.S. If you’re going through your own ‘fire’ right now, remember: you’re not being punished. You’re being prepared. And you’re stronger than you know.

What resonates with you about this perspective? I’d love to hear your thoughts – simply hit reply.