Don't Stop 5 Minutes Before The Miracle

(If you are looking for the Powerful Pivoting Opportunity, scroll down to the post from March 15th.)

From the book, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo:  "What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up."

I wish I knew who first said, "Don't stop 5 minutes before the miracle."  I'm sure there are many other ways people have conveyed this same message.  The point is, one never knows when everything will turn around and a miracle will happen.  

I decided years ago that I was going to live my life by simply being in The Flow. I'm glad I can say "I'm only human," for I am definitely not perfect at staying in The Flow.  But I've come to realize the value of the times when I'm bumping up against the banks of my river (my Flow) and the times when I must have climbed completely out and been standing on the shore, dripping wet and looking pathetic, like a fish on dry land, and asking, "What the heck am I doing here?"  For those are the times I really dig deeply into life.  Those are the times I really appreciate what The Flow feels like, how it enhances and blesses my life, and how much I love The Flow.  Without those times where I felt the LACK of The Flow, I wouldn't have come to appreciate The Flow as much as I now do.

And what it naturally makes me want to do is ... jump right back in!  Of course!  What fish out of water doesn't want to be right smack dab back in the middle of that wet and wild current?  

But how did I get out of The Flow in the first place?  Well, I think I've figured it out.  The water got too hot, or too wild, or too dangerous, or too scary, or too turbulent, or ... is there such a thing as water getting too wet?  Perhaps you'll understand what I mean by that.  Anyway, instead of riding out the current and sticking with The Flow and allowing it to do its magic and take me to the next great thing around the next bend (or 3 or 4), I baled!  

Thankfully I know the feeling of being out of water is not good and that "out of the water" is worse than "turbulent water," so I typically jump back in pretty quickly.  Oh, and I've noticed that some of the landscape along those wild stretches is pretty amazing!  Truly lovely.  And sometimes I find real treasures there.  And SOMETIMES, this delightful thing happens where the rapids push me into these really gentle sanctuaries, full of peace and joy, almost like the calm after a storm, or like ... magic.

For me, now it's not so much that I want life to be this calm, in-control thing that is only there to soothe and please me.  Rather, I now appreciate all the colors, textures, flavors and types of currents and obstacles along the way because they make life interesting and fascinating and exhilarating!  The variety and contrast are what make the JOurneY such a JOY.  

So, are you going to make your JOurneY a rich and glorious ride and let yourself see all the miracles that lie around the next bend in the river?  Oh, and are you going to do it white-knuckled and screaming?  Or basking and appreciating all the way?

Every moment IS a miracle. 

Celebrating the miracle of the JOurneY,

CJ