And The Teacher Appears

This week I had two encounters with people who taught me an ugly truth about myself but it was exactly what I needed to learn in this moment.

The Yard Guy

I need to get my yard cleaned up and also have some stuff hauled away so I answered an ad in a local publication for a gardener/ general handy man. The inquiry left me feeling like this guy wasn’t very interested in taking on the job. He kept throwing up qualifications before he even heard what I needed like, “I don’t usually go to your area.” “I charge this much.” “If it’s at least four hours of work I might consider it.” “I can’t get out there until next week.”

Now ordinarily statements like these are valid. I would expect that he would inform me of his business policies and his availability. It was his tone over the phone though that left me wondering if he was really even interested in taking on the job or if he would actually show up like he said he would. It was like even though this is his business, he went to the trouble of paying to advertise it after all, he really wasn’t interested in what was being offered to him.

The Yes…But Guy

The second encounter was on a Facebook chat group. The topic of the group is ideas for a better Nanaimo, the city where I live. The discussion was about a downtown public space named the Diana Krall plaza. Yes, the jazz chanteuse grew up in my fair city. Anyway, we were discussing the need for the plaza to be “warmed up” so it could be better utilized by the public. One of the main contributors to the discussion kept coming back with jaded responses like, “Yes that’s a great idea but nothing has been done so far and I doubt the local leaders will follow through on any plans made.”

We engaged with back and forth banter for a while until I admitted defeat, told him I would always have a Pollyanna passion for the downtown and thanked him for sharing his insights with me. There was no use in engaging him further. He was not willing to except what was being offered to him.

The Light Bulb Goes On

Lessons can come in many forms and life lessons can come from the most unexpected places. I am reading a book this week called Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss. The book is almost 20 years old and came to me by way of my daughter. It was prescribed reading for a course she is taking and she accidently ordered two copies, so she gave me one. The subject matter, healing and the energy body is not new to me but Caroline Myss goes deeper into spiritual growth and the universal truths taught by most major religion’s. Her insights have captivated me.

Several times throughout the book she talks about how other people’s issues that evoke a emotional reaction in us are really just reflections of our own personal challenges. If you are bothered by someone’s actions perhaps it’s because you see it, consciously or subconsciously, as a flaw or weakness in yourself.

Was the issue of not excepting what was being offered mirroring back at me through these seemingly benign interactions with these two men? Here was a lesson for me. Here was an ugly truth. I am,  both consciously and subconsciously, choosing to not accept the gifts that the universe is offering to me right now.

I bare my soul here because this is a universal lesson. Why do we get stuck in life? Why do we put conditions on our goals and dreams? Why do we not take the opportunity that is being offered to us? Because, then we would have to admit that it might be hard, that we will probably have to face an unknown, that by putting ourselves out there, we would have to give up control of the outcome.

So just as the universe has offered up this lesson to me, and went as far as putting not one but two teachers in my path to reflect this truth and even supplied the cheat sheet for the answer in the form of a book, one that I probably would never have read had a copy not been placed into my hands, I too will reflect this lesson back at you.

What is being offered up in your life right now that you’re choosing to ignore because it might challenge you, or the timing is not perfect, or maybe by saying yes you would then have to admit that you don’t have the slightest idea how to achieve it?

Know this, in that opportunity lies your highest self and the divine path that was meant for only you. The richest treasures in life will never be found by walking the smoothest roads. To find them you will have to blaze the trail for yourself.