Abundant Opportunities
Yesterday I finally got to ride my bike again. (My road bike not my motorcycle just for clarity.) 🙂 The wind felt so refreshing on my face. My senses were awakened as I took in the beautiful scenery. Looking around eagerly, I noticed a deer staring at me through the woods. Only its face and ears were visible. We locked eyes as I slowly pedaled past. The moment was brief but the encounter was permanently etched into my memory.
As I pedaled happily down the road, these thoughts burst into my mind.
“What if I hadn’t been looking around? I would have never noticed that gorgeous deer. How much nature do I miss just because I am not actively looking for it?”
If you know me, you know I love nature. The thought of missing any beautiful nature moments instantly makes me sad. As I pondered this, I was hit with another idea. “What if this truth also applies to opportunities? Are there opportunities all around me, ready for the taking but I continue to pass them by because I am busy being frustrated with the worries of life?”
I have heard people talk about manifesting but I have never believed it. I mean, how can you “believe” something into existence? I still don’t know much about this subject, but I am starting to realize that there could be something to it. I suppose that if you really want something and you believe that you will get it, then your mind and heart will be open and looking - and if you are open and looking, it’s likely that you are going to notice the opportunities.
This makes so much sense to me. After all, it is scientifically proven. Our brains are wired to notice what is important to us and the rest of life is filtered out. It’s called the Reticular Activating System, (RAS). So if I am spending my energy worrying or being frustrated about not having opportunities, all I will see is a bunch of closed doors. However, if I dare to believe that I can have extravagant success, I may find it.
My mind is blown. I feel like I have wasted 40 years of my life focusing on the negative. It probably doesn’t help that I was raised to fear wealth. Everyone said that money was the root of all evil. The idea of desiring something for myself was out of the picture and it was an absolute sin to want success. I learned pretty quickly to “take the lower place” and spend my energy serving others. There was no room to want things for myself.
40 years of living this way created very strong neural connections that are not easy to rewire. Thankfully, I am not dead yet, and the experience of seeing that doe in the woods has given me a new perspective. I don’t want to waste another moment missing out on the gifts life has for me.
Due to stormy weather today, I drove my van to the coffee shop to blog. I was feeling emotional and vulnerable from a difficult season and wasn’t in the mood to be around any people. I wanted a cave to hole up in. I considered ordering to go, parking somewhere, and just blogging in my van. Finally, I decided to go in to order and see how the environment felt. I promised myself that if I felt uncomfortable and needed to be alone, I could return to my van. For some reason, something in me felt like I should at least be brave enough to come inside and try it before I assumed it was going to be horrible.
Turns out, while I was ordering, the barista struck up an interesting conversation with me which eventually led to me giving my business card to two ladies who are interested in horses and what I do with mine. It felt so good to meet new people and share my passion.
Who knows where these connections will lead but one thing I do know is, I’m sure glad I decided to come inside. I had no clue that these opportunities were waiting for me just outside my comfort zone.
Sitting here, drinking my coffee, I find myself smiling. I am proud of myself for choosing growth over and over again. It may take a while for me to rewire certain parts of my brain, but I am in it for the long haul. I believe it’s a worthwhile investment. From now on, I will be working on opening my life to the opportunities awaiting me. I know how to be present and search for beauty when I am out in nature - now I just need to apply that to the rest of my life.
Gratitude flows from the bottom of my heart to that quiet doe who caught my attention. She may never know the important lesson she taught me that day, but then again, maybe she does. After all, animals are a whole lot more intuitive than we realize.
To all my friends out there who struggle to believe they are worth wild success and unbridled joy, I encourage you to try a different mindset. If I am worthy of it, then so are you. It’s not about competition, it’s about celebrating each other. In the wise words of my mentor Rayna Granger, “There is abundance in the Universe for everyone.”
I love how you pointed out to yourself (and therefore me, too, via this post) that you were guessing something would be bad before you’d even tried it. I need to be mindful about when I make those kind of assumptions, too.
Good job for stepping out beyond your worries and seeking growth, Gem!
Well said. Opportunities are there for us to notice.