In life, we rarely have the luxury of going through a challenging situation while also understanding what positive impact it may be having on our self-development.

Most of us don't actively seek our personal growth.  Rather, we wait till we hit a challenge and then adjust.  One thing we can do in that situation, instead of assuming falsely that some external force is trying to teach us a lesson, is to stop and ask: 'what is this situation showing me?'

Ultimately, whether we see the whole picture now or later, we can chose whether or not to apply the knowledge we gained from it.  That is what sets wisdom apart from knowledge.