The idea that "everything happens for a reason" is a common philosophy for people who are religious or spiritual. It's the idea that, even if bad things happen to you, there's a purpose or reason for it. This purpose was decided by God, or by fate. People usually think that the reason for these bad events is to teach us lessons about life, or to lead us to greater rewards later.

People often say "everything happens for a reason" when they're talking about something bad that happened, such as:

• a break-up
• losing one's job
• the death of a family member