It's All In the Timing

by Marie T. Russell

Often we bemoan not being at the right place at the right time. At other times, it seems like our "fairy godmother" must have been looking over our shoulder because we "magically" were, indeed, just where we needed to be to have a wonderful, wondrous experience.

Are these happening truly happenstance? Is it just luck, or fate? Or do we have something to do with it?

I recall one experience in my life that seemed like one of those "cosmic coincidences". It was a Sunday afternoon, and I was at home enjoying some quiet relaxation, when all of a sudden I had this urge to go to the bookstore. I had not had any intention of going out, let alone to the bookstore, but this feeling was strong. It was almost as if someone was standing inside of me saying "Go to the bookstore". So I did.

When I got there, much to my amazement, a friend that I had lost touch with was there. We had a wonderful reunion and I was so glad of the "coincidence" of our both being in this store at the same time.

Coincidence? I think not. Some part of me - call it Higher Self, intuition, right brain, inner self, guardian angel, gut feeling, whatever - knew that my friend was going to be at the bookstore, and it suggested (strongly) that I go there at that particular time.

I think many an accident would be avoided if people learned to "go with the flow". In other words, when things are not flowing in one direction, go with it not against it. Sometimes in the morning, everything seems to be conspiring for you to be late. But who knows, are you really late? or are you simply being guided to not be at a particular spot at a time when there may an accident happening there. Have you ever passed the scene of an accident and realized that if you had been 5 minutes earlier, that could have been you?

We all have experienced situations like this. We tend to call them coincidences. Yet, our inner voice or intuition is constantly feeding us messages or guidance. The question is: are we listening? And if we are listening, do we follow through on the feeling or suggestion?

We are all telepathic, intuitive beings. Whether or not we tune in to it and pay attention is another question. But we all have the capability of receiving guidance - we receive it all the time. You know, those times when you are craving that second piece of chocolate cake, and a little gentle voice inside says "one was enough". You have a choice at that moment - we always do.

In our time-obsessed and success-driven society, we have learned to override the voice of our inner self and ignore it when it doesn't fit into our "5 year plan", or our plan for the moment. Yet the Universe has a better concept of what is proper timing than we do. We are simply a player or a peg in the puzzle of life. Of course we have free will, yet when we are willing to listen to the cosmic director's advice and follow its guidance, we suddenly find ourselves "at the right place at the right time".

Caught in traffic? Maybe if you had been listening carefully, you would have heeded that slight feeling to take a different road today - instead of listening to your mind that said, "no that way is the slow way, I don't have time for that". So you ended up stuck in traffic. Or better yet, rather than our acting out of rote and always taking the same route, we might, upon getting in the car, ask our "Higher Self/intuition" - which road is the best for me this morning? And thus be assured that we are on the "right path".

At times, we are pushing ourselves to make that 5 o'clock appointment with a friend. And we're rushing, and pushing, and feeling stressed and out of breath. All to get there "on time". So we get there! And our friend is 15 minutes "late". If we had "gone with the flow" we might have gotten there 10 minutes "late" but still would have arrived before our friend got there. That's happened to me many times - even though my inner voice was telling me, "relax, it's ok. You'll be fine. Don't get so stressed out over 5 or 10 minutes." Been there?

We all have within us the power and clarity to always be at the right place at the right time. It takes tuning in, asking the right question, or simply paying attention to feelings or hunches. Being psychic is not so extraordinary. We are all psychic. We are all part of the great interconnectedness of Mind. We all have access to the storage of data and information about the present and yes, even about the "future". But what channel are we tuning in to? The fear channel? or the intuition channel. Thank God it never closes and it's always right on time!

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the publisher of InnerSelf Magazine (first published in 1985 as Mighty Natural Magazine). She produced a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1991-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our inner source of joy and creativity.

Marie's favorite book on this topic: 

"Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety"
by Robert Gerzon
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