When you're ready, it'll happen.

Do you ever wonder why "nothing good" happens to you?  You're not ready for it. 
Do you wonder why that job or that relationship keeps eluding you, despite all your "best efforts?"  You're not ready. 
You might think you are.  In fact, you probably do. You probably think you're 100% ready.  Just ready and waiting.  But the Universe brings you exactly what you need, when you need it, AND when you're ready for it.  Otherwise it wouldn't do any good. 

I actually knew my current boyfriend (of 2 years and counting now) in middle and high school.  We knew of each other, but didn't have much in common then.  It wasn't until we met 15 years after high school that we really clicked.  It turns out we have a lot in common.  We're a strong match.  We might have been in high school too, but we weren't ready for each other then.  We weren't ready for the relationship we have now. 

Likewise, all those short relationships I was in through my 20s, wondering why nothing lasted more than 6 months... I thought I was ready for "the one," but apparently not.  Otherwise I would have met him then.  I needed those short-term relationships at that time in my life.

I've mentioned before that I volunteer at my local humane society.  I walk dogs (and clean their cages when needed).   There has been this little, blind shih-tzu there (Betty) for a couple months.  I walked her a couple times.  She was nice.  Then one time I tried to walk her, but she refused to go out of her kennel.  Fine, I thought.  I let her be.  The next time I went in to volunteer, she still refused to go for a walk.  This time I decided to pick her up.  She seemed to have really needed that attention and affection.  She just melted in my arms!  So I sat with her, holding her and petting her.  I repeated this the next time I went in.  She's a real sweetheart, but I didn't think of her any differently than I thought of any of the other shelter dogs.  I cared about her, as I care for them all. 

Then something changed.  I saw a facebook thread about this little girl, Betty.  Others were worried about her, how she'd gone "down hill" since being in the shelter so long.  How blind dogs really didn't do well in the shelter environment.  People were sharing her story and getting the word out there that this little girl needed a foster home, at the very least, and a forever home, ideally. 

I didn't take action immediately, but once it settled in my heart, I knew I had to do something.  Since I've fostered with this shelter many times over the past year, I emailed the foster care coordinator and inquired about Betty.  Did they want a foster home for her?  If so, I was willing to give it a shot.  I have 3 other dogs and 3 cats, and you never know how dogs will respond to each other.  I was cautiously optimistic.

I was given the ok to take her to my home.  I picked her up on a Thursday.  My dogs, while curious about her at first, accepted her.  It was then that I knew she was mine. 

I've had her four days now.  I've already taken her on two "outings" with me.  She's absolutely precious. 

How did I not think of her as a dog I could adopt until 4 days ago?  How could I see her in the shelter, even spend time with her there, for weeks, and not know?  I wasn't ready.  I wasn't looking to adopt a dog.  I'm still not.  But it happened anyway. 

The trajectory of my writing career is similar.  I've been writing ever since I really could.  I've kept diaries and journals since third grade.  I still have them.  I wrote my first short story when I was in fifth grade.  I still have it too.  Yet I did not consider myself a "writer" or even consider writing as a career path. 

I went to college and tried out a few different majors, finally graduating with a degree in elementary education.  I worked as a teacher.  Didn't like it.  I worked as a restaurant server, telemarketer, sales rep, cashier.  I even worked in a book store at one point.  But "writer" was not one of the career possibilities in my head. 

It wasn't until I was 33 years old, working a steady job as an educational interpreter, that I decided to start writing an actual novel.  I started working on it in February of 2011.  I quit my job in May of 2011 and committed myself to being a writer full-time. 

Why didn't I do this before?  I wasn't ready.  It's not that I have tons more money now than I had in the past.  I needed all those other jobs.  They provided me with valuable life experiences.  Experiences upon which I can now draw in my writing.

Life unfolds at just the right time.  The Universe knows what it's doing.  That I can assure you.

When you are ready, really ready, all that you want will be yours. 

In the meantime, enjoy the ride.  Follow your heart.  Pursue your dreams.  Visualize.  Learn.  Grow.  And know that "it" will come to you when you are truly ready.  Fear not! 


Quote of the Day:

"Simply put, the reason there are things you want that have not yet appeared in your life is because you're just not used to thinking of yoruself with them.  ... It's the same for things you have, that you don't want, but in reverse."  (tut.com)