Sunday, December 16, 2012

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)

8 comments:

  1. Sarah, Thanks for sharing and giving your time and love to the animals at the humane society. I hope Betty will thrive in your loving home. I'm sure there is a reason you found each other. Great post today.... What are your thoughts on free will? What if "it" shows up and you unknowingly choose another direction.

    L

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    1. A. Laura,
      I believe we when are truly ready, we will recognize "it." There are reasons that many people have stories of "not seeing it" at first, and then later it being so obvious. Whatever it is. It could be a relationship - I know several people who knew the person they ended up with for a while, or knew them in their past, but yet a relationship didn't develop at first. Because they weren't ready just yet. Or it could be a job or career path. Someone may need to have certain experiences from other jobs or another career path before finally "seeing" what they really want to do and are meant to do. Everything happens for a reason.

      I certainly believe in free will. We all make choices every second of every day. I think whatever choice we make, the Universe is constantly working for us. If we don't choose something that would be really good or right for us, and instead make another choice, that's for a reason. We had a lesson to learn or experiences to gain from that other choice. If something is REALLY meant for us, it WILL happen. In the right time. When we are ready.

      Thanks for the question! It really made me think!
      What do you think about free will?

      Sarah

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    2. Laura,
      I hope you get this. I feel that I owe you an apology. I won't go into it here, but I am sorry for how I ended our friendship, basically. I can't find your real email or contact info, and so this was the only way I had to reach out to you. If you do get this, and would like to talk, feel free to email, text, or call. I miss your friendship. I hope you are doing well.
      Sarah

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  2. Thank you for this. This really spoke to me. I feel like I'm a caterpillar in a cocoon, waiting for what feels like FOREVER, for certain things in my life to change. Even though I FEEL ready, I know that the Universe really KNOWS when I am ready, and when the right time is. A lot of times I hate waiting, especially when I see others around me moving ahead ... but I know that I must be still and just be patient, continue having faith and trusting my Intuition, my higher self. I am still seeking. One day I will burst forth from my cocoon and be the beautiful butterfly that is within me. Thank you for the inspiration.

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    1. Marielle,

      Thank you for your comment! I've felt similarly myself. Like a caterpillar - great metaphor!
      Just remember that every day, even in your caterpillar stage, you ARE learning, growing, and living. Every day is a gift, full of opportunities. Even those days that feel like "nothing" happened. Like when we lounge around the house. It's there for a reason. It's what we needed at that moment. Accept it and love it for what it is. This is something I'm still learning and working on. I tend to not feel productive if I don't "do" anything in a given day.
      But this reminds me of a quote from Lau-tzu, from the Tao Te Ching: "The Tau does nothing, yet leaves nothing undone." I read it actually in Wayne Dyer's book, "Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life." One of the BEST and most life-changing books I've read to date. I highly recommend it. It put life in a different perspective for me, including learning how to accept what is and slow down. :)

      Sarah

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  3. Thank you ^_^ This was exactly what I needed today!

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    1. Mel,

      I'm glad you got something out of my blog post! It really means something to me each time a reader comments.
      Peace, love, and joy,
      Sarah

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