By Heather Gibson

My son was thrilled to play college football—but a freak accident changed everything.

Just three weeks into his first semester, during practice, he suffered a major knee injury. He had waited years for this chance and made countless sacrifices to get there. But before he ever got to play a single game, one unexpected moment took it all away: a torn ACL and meniscus.

So… was this a good thing or a bad thing?

Most people would call it bad. And in the moment, my son would have agreed. But here’s the truth: it could end up being one of the best things that ever happens to him. I don’t know how his story will unfold, but I do know that major setbacks often come with the potential for major blessings.

There’s a Law of Thought called the Law of Polarity—and it teaches that for every bad experience, there’s an equal or greater amount of good contained within it.

Sounds crazy, right? But I’ve lived it.

I challenge you: next time you face something painful, look for the good. It’s there—sometimes hidden deep—but I promise, the more you train your mind to search for it, the more power and peace you’ll uncover.

I’ve been through this in my life and business, again and again.

It took me years to break into the breeding community. Some breeders rejected me outright, making unfair and untrue assumptions. I almost gave up. But those setbacks gave me a gift: now I understand the roadblocks new breeders face, and I have real solutions to help them.

Losing kittens or puppies is one of the hardest parts of my work. Some are fragile from the start. Others pass suddenly, without warning. Both kinds of loss leave me heartbroken and crying for days.

But on the other side of that heartbreak is birth—tiny, perfect beginnings. Watching newborns grow and thrive brings incredible joy. Some of the best moments in my day come from these animals. And yes, some of the hardest ones, too.

Joy and sorrow are wrapped together in the same experience.

And in those experiences, I’ve found something priceless: the healing power of animals.

Mental health challenges are real—and deeply personal to me. I’ve watched my children (biological and adopted) suffer. I lost my brother to suicide. I’ve battled depression and anxiety myself. I’ve known darkness and despair.

But because of those struggles, I cherish the light even more. I’ve learned how to manage my mental health, and hope to help my children and others with theirs. I am grateful I understand the pain and can stand by others so they do not have to be alone.

That’s why I care so deeply about emotional support animals.

They keep us grounded in the present. They connect us to something outside ourselves. They remind us of our purpose. They love us unconditionally and help us learn to love ourselves. That connection—that companionship—can make all the difference.

So, can you see it? There’s hope, even in your hardest moments.

There’s good buried inside the worst things you’ve ever been through. When you start looking for the blessings inside your struggles, everything shifts. That mindset becomes a superpower. It builds resilience that can carry you through any roadblock—personal or professional.

J.K. Rowling once said,
“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.”

So don’t give up when life gets hard. Those moments are often the beginning of something beautiful—something equal or even greater than what you lost.

P.S. Do you believe that every problem has a solution?
I do. Check out my next post to find out why.

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