It occurred to me after having a conversation the other day with a new friend from the Tribe that I have not always responded to the Universe’s tap on my shoulder.
So, I made this short video this evening as a means of clarifying some things for myself, and wanted to share it with you because I believe the message is Universal…
I have to confess: the Universe has put a cruise ship in my driveway more times than I care to admit and I, like so many others, have pretended it wasn’t there.
I had my reasons. (Don’t we all?)
I was afraid of getting “sea sick.”
Timing wasn’t “right.” (Is it ever?)
And I wasn’t ready to act.
Action is the key.
In fact, the Universe could send us a fleet of cruise ships us all day long and twice on Sundays and if we aren’t “awake,” if we aren’t paying attention, we will miss every single one and stay put right where we are.
In all fairness, I don’t believe it would be POSSIBLE to answer every tap. Indeed, I believe we are tapped more times than we CAN answer. So missing some taps isn’t necessarily the problem.
There are very specific reasons why we notice the ones we do, and there are very specific reasons why we act on them when we do. If I had a magic formula to share that helped everyone know exactly which taps to answer, I would be a very wealthy woman indeed!
Alas, like everything else in life, there is a lot of mystery involved with the taps.
Sometimes the decision to act is easy, usually because we have been preparing for “the call” for quite some time before it comes. Our bags our packed and we are ready to set sail.
Other times, and probably more often the case than not, the decision to act is more difficult. While we recognize the tap is one to answer, we may not be as prepared, and thus have to weigh out the options, discuss things with loved ones, brood and reflect and ponder. Indeed, the call doesn’t always come at the most convenient time. (It’s the middle of the winter, we’ve put on some weight from the holidays, how can we possibly go on a cruise looking like we do…)
Once the decision is made and action begins, however, we move on it. And nothing is as it was.
Do things always work out perfectly for us just because we answered the call? Definitely not. Talk to anyone who had “made it” and they will be the first to tell you that the difference between them and those who are not successful is this:
They simply took more cruises.
And weren’t afraid to get off the boat before the trip was over if things weren’t working out.
Has a cruise ship showed up in your driveway recently? Did you climb on board…or pretend it wasn’t there, hoping it would go away and the neighbors wouldn’t see? Are you in the process of making the decision to move on something you have been called to do? Please share your stories in the comment section below and pass along this post to your circle if you believe they would find it valuable!
All Aboard!
Mary Lou,
Love it! The cruise ship is such a wonderful visual for your post. Reminds me to be alot more aware of what is going on around, the cruise ship could be just over the bend – or right in front of my nose!
Thanks so much for sharing this concept today. I needed that,
Val 🙂
Hey Val, Let’s meet on the Lido deck for some sun and umbrella drinks! 🙂
Hey Mary,
Man, it sounds so peaceful in your backyard! I’m really feeling your blog and overall vibe. Awesome stuff!
You’re so natural on camera. I’ve so heard that stroy before! Hilarious. 🙂
Great to connect with your through TUT.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Ryan! Glad to share a smile and a laugh with you! The UT is awesome indeed!
Mary, sure sounds like the birds are ready to get on board with you also. The analogy is right on. We often overlook opportunities because they aren’t accompanied with Lightning and Thunder. You bring common sense to our sense-abilities with ease and grace. Thanks a bunch
Hey there, Mary Lou!
Love the cruise ship analogy! 🙂
Many people think that the *signs* from the Universe are going to be obvious, when more often than not, they are a lot more subtle. However, once you pick up on the slightest hint that you may be on track, the most wonderful and amazing things will happen.
Thanks so much for sharing this.
Heather
Knowing what the Universe is telling you is something like learning to listen to your body.
It’s really about discernment.
A person might suffer a lifetime of sub-clinical allergies, for instance. Perhaps it’s a dairy allergy that undermines their intestinal integrity. Because there are no clinical symptoms, the person, his doctor and even years of lab results do not pick up on an accumulating malady because there is insufficient quantitative evidence. Yet, these sub-clinical effects may ultimately lead to colon cancer.
The message is to intentionally… and quietly… “listen” to your body. The dairy allergy in this case is most likely to be recognized by the individual suffering its effects. Simple reactions like lethargy shortly after eating ice cream could lead the discerning person to make the connection between his dairy intake and the subclinical reaction, ie, the lethargy. To ignore these subtle reactions, is to let the problem foster and intensify over a long period of time.
In the same way, we are often too involved, distracted, noisy, even lazy about discerning “taps” from the Universe. Not because we want miss the opportunity, but because we are seldom quiet enough to listen. We are so busy looking, we cannot see. Discernment, be it physical, emotional, spiritual or financial… requires solitude, quiet and intentional reflection and prayer.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
You have certainly illustrated this here, Mary Lou. Ask, seek and knock. Then be still. Be silent. Be at peace. The answer always appears, but we must be undistracted, relaxed and attentive to it. Or we’ll never even know it was there.
Being still and being silent used to be something I did more often than I do now. Call it having loud children, call it being an entrepreneur, call it whatever you will, but the point is, those silent times have slipped away and need to return to the top of my priority list! As always, David, I appreciate your amazing, thoughtful, and insightful comments. 🙂
Hi Nelson, I know, the birds in my yard are noisy as all get out! I love having them around, though. Thanks for your wonderful comments, as always!
Hi Heather, The signs are almost never obvious, are they, and come to us at times that are not always convenient. The ultimate question is, What will we do with the signs when they come, convenient or not? Thanks for your contribution to this discussion!
Mary Lou,
I love how you used the analogy of the cruise ship,it is so very true that the universe answers us all the time for things that we have asked for and it is our job to recognize it when it comes our way. I know that I have missed a few,but I have also been ready for a few. Great post.
Lori
The good news is, Lori, that we don’t have to miss them ALL! Thanks for sharing! 🙂