“It is what it is” is such a short, simple phrase that is packed with so much meaning. I came across this phrase from a friend at summer camp that we worked at together. Any time something bad happened to him, he would tell me, “It is what it is”. I never really understood how he was always okay and so accepting of everything. Then one day, he told me that we have absolutely no control over what happens in life. We have no control over what happens to us. It is all completely and utterly in God’s hands. Whatever situation happened, it happened. There is nothing that we can do about it now. We can’t go back in history and just scribble out the parts that we don’t like. The words written in the book of our lives is written in ink and is forever permanent. We just have to accept it, and move on. We have to believe that whatever happened is apart of God’s plan for our lives. Somehow in someway, it is shaping us to be the person that God has called us to be. There is no point at staying mad or bitter about the situation. When you allow that bitterness into your heart, into your life, you are not hurting the other person. You are just hurting yourself more. You are not letting the wound heal. It is what it is is not only a phrase, but a mindset. Believe me, it is not a mindset that happens overnight. It is a work in progress. I am still working on it. I have to constantly remind myself. “It is what it is”.