Serendipity
A funny thing happened on my way to becoming a published author.
I have two creative nonfiction articles out there in the ether. I’ve been waiting for over four months for a reply from the publications I submitted them to. I’m also currently working on my first novel. My focus, career wise, was solely placed on my dream of becoming published. Granted, over the last month or so, my motivation for writing has been waning a bit. I still work on my novel, but not with the fervor I possessed six months ago. The Universe, I truly believe, noticed this. And it took action.
Enter my new job. Last week, out of nowhere and completely unexpectedly, I received a text message from my mother about a job opportunity. A supervisor from the park near her workplace asked if she knew anyone that wanted a job. Actually, she asked my sister (who works with my mother) and they both immediately thought of me. Without hesitation, I responded “Yes!” to her text. Now mind you, I was content with never entering the workplace again to concentrate on my writing career, money or not. I felt that it was the only way I could make my lifelong dream a reality. The Universe had other things in mind.
A mere five days after receiving that text, I became a member of the park’s grounds crew. It happened so fast that I haven’t been able to process it and show The Universe my gratitude until today. I have literally been given a job that fits my personality and lifestyle perfectly. And I wasn’t even looking for it.
Back to Work
During my eight months of unemployment, my secondary focus was my health, specifically my body and weight loss. The previous job I held was physically demanding. It keep me busy and always on the move, which allowed me to skip workout days or cheat on my diet without any consequence. If I did either of those, going to work the next day would usually supply enough caloric expenditure to make up for those lapses. The physical job combined with intermittent fasting provided fantastic results. My body got slim, toned and I was down to the 200 to 205 pound range, a far cry from the 235 I started with. I was well on my way to having that six pack I’ve always wanted.
But the prolonged period of not working eventually began to take its toll on my body. I still practiced intermittent fasting, but I couldn’t bounce back from the failings of my diet and workout schedule as quickly as I did when I was working. My core has started to regain some of the fat pockets that were once so prevalent. As of yesterday, I was back up to 215 pounds. Some of it is muscle for sure, but not all of it. A study of my body in the mirror displayed the depressing truth: not working was causing me to regain some of the lost weight.
The Universe, in its uninhibited glory, saw this and placed in front of me the most physically demanding job I have ever had. I am part of the grounds crew for a gigantic public park that has eleven baseball and softball fields, four soccer fields, a track and field area, something called disc golf (which is apparently a game where people try to fly a frisbee into a goal) that has 18 holes, and an exercise trail that borders an enormous lake. So as you can see, physical activity is not a problem for me anymore. A quick glance at my exercise app tells me that I can breeze through over ten thousand steps during each shift. This is Monday through Friday and every other weekend.
I’m going to predict that in six to eight weeks, I will be back at that 200 to 205 pounds range, maybe even surpass it. And I all I did was accept what The Universe gave me. No questions asked.
Accepting Instead of Forcing
Writing means a lot to me and is my most treasured desire. But only briefly did I think my writing was going to suffer with the advent of my new job. This is startling because I was so intent on not putting my writing on the back burner ever again. But lo and behold, when the hiring manager asked me if I was interested in the position, it took a nanosecond to process and blurt out my response: a resounding yes. It felt like I had no control over what was happening, as if my subconscious held the reigns for a brief moment. If I would’ve allowed myself to think about the situation, I would’ve began to question if it was the right thing to do. I may have even said no to this awesome opportunity.
My supervisor explained to me on my first day that despite its gargantuan size, the park indeed has some downtime. Routinely, there is nothing to do for hours. I haven’t experienced it yet as baseball and softball tournaments are in full swing. The state is slowly reopening and the park is bustling in response. She went on to say that during these periods of inactivity, I could hide away in secluded area of the park and write! When she said that, I just knew this job was exactly where I needed to be, at the exact time I needed it.
The Universe (or if you prefer, God) knows what we need. We don’t have to do anything except exist and let things happen. We ask The Universe to give us what we want (this is similar to prayer for the religious) and let it go. We don’t have to ask over and over, everyday, all day, chanting at our reflection for fifteen minutes each morning. Just ask and stipulate exactly what you what to occur.
For example, here is one way I ask The Universe for something:
“Hey Universe, I need your help right now. Please let (fill in the blank) happen because I could really use it. But if it is not something I truly NEED or will not HELP me, then don’t give it to me. I am human and don’t really know what is best for me.”
The last part is crucial because I believe The Universe will give you whatever you ask for. It may take years, even decades to occur and it could end up being the best or worst thing to ever happen to you. If thought really does create reality, as quantum theories suggest, then we will eventually receive whatever it is we ask for. So it would be best to include that caveat to ensure that you haven’t doomed yourself to a life of confusion and disappointment.
My Universe
After this astounding display of serendipity and balance, there is no doubt in my mind the Universe wants and will do what is best for me. As long as I am clear of my intentions, regardless of my wants and expectations, it will continue to steer me in the right direction. I have put my complete trust in it to handle every aspect of my life, not just writing. I know that by doing this I am more able to accept whatever occurs in my life, even if it initially appears to be negative. And I’m going the ride the quantum waves of The Universe as long as I am able to.
Jay Owens 