While walking this morning, it suddenly occurred to me that all the best things in my life were unimaginable before they happened. I never envisioned moving to Buffalo (completely by choice, if you’re wondering), hosting one of the first radio call-in counseling shows, mothering two children, becoming a yogi, or any number of life experiences that have brought me great joy.
Recently, I read an obituary of a woman in her early 40s. She was famous for saying how you never know what is going to happen to you. The year she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer she married and went on to have two children. When she was diagnosed the last thing she would have imagined was exactly what happened.
Why not assume your divorce, or any other huge loss that shakes your foundation, will have wonderful aftereffects? Just because you have not yet experienced them yet doesn’t mean they aren’t on the horizon.
Here’s a little exercise:
Think about all the things you have loved in your life. Did you predict them? Maybe you were able to foresee some, but I bet there are others that knocked your socks off.
When you allow life to work its magic, rather than having everything all set, you open up to many more possibilities for joy and fulfillment. You may suddenly be inspired to do something differently, to go someplace new, or to start a practice, like yoga or qi gong. You have no idea where those millisecond decisions will take you or whom you’ll meet.
If you are practicing any of the techniques from ASK AND IT IS GIVEN by Abraham Hicks, like creating a vision board, you may think this is at odds with what they encourage you to do. It isn’t. While you are busy constructing the life you want, the universe is sending all sorts of opportunities to help you manifest your desires. How many times have you looked back on something truly magnificent that happened to you only to realize its genesis was completely unexpected? In many cases, you got far more than your wildest dreams. (Just to be clear: I am only recommending the exercises from the second half of their book, the first half may speak to some and turn off others.)
A key ingredient to reaping life’s bounty is to pay attention to and be grateful for what you have this very moment. Practicing a rampage of appreciation not only enables you to squeeze more joy from almost anything; but, it can help shift your perspective when things feel overwhelming.
Of course, some achievements, like graduating from high school or college, are fairly straightforward; but, there are many others that arrive in surprising ways. Yet another reason to be open to life. Right this minute take a slow deep breath, open your arms wide, let your shoulder blades fall down your back and allow that beautiful heart chakra to open. Millennia ago, the yogis knew about drawing energy into areas that could use some extra simulation. Paradoxically, if you have suffered a loss and find yourself feeling closed or tight in your chest, deliberately opening up by drawing breath and energy into that area can prepare you for some new delight you can’t yet imagine.
Copyright Nicole S. Urdang
