Bring It On

{Photo credit: tropical.pete}

“The Universe is waiting on you, not the other way around, and it's going to keep waiting until you finally make up your mind. Waiting for clarity is like being a sculptor staring at a piece of marble, waiting for the statue within to cast off the unneeded pieces. Do not wait for clarity to spontaneously materialize -- grab a chisel and get busy!” ~ Steve Pavlina

Wisconsin Dells is the Waterpark Capitol of the World. It’s true. There are more waterparks in that tourist-y southern Wisconsin town than anyplace else. They are a lot of fun. I invite you to come and try it. {My favorite? The Great Wolf Lodge.}

If you have ever been to a waterpark, then you have probably seen one of those ginormous funnel slide rides. You hike to the tippy-top of the building up who knows how many flights of stairs lugging a wet and ever-increasingly heavy inflatable raft. Now that you are there, you might have a moment of hesitation seeing the dizzying heights you suddenly find yourself, but you either have to pass all the other riders lugging their rafts or you need to hop in and go down the drain. Taking that first leap is a doozy.

But you get in your raft and make sure your swimsuit is covering all the places it should before the skinny teenager working there unceremoniously shoves your raft with his size 12 foot.

No turning back now.

You careen out of control through dimly lit and oh-so-claustrophobic tunnels hurtling toward a certain watery death trap below all the while screaming from terror or exhilaration, you can’t quite be sure which. And then you are spewed out into a toilet bowl fit for a giant. This is the most exhilarating part of the ride, the anticipated outcome, the fun part.

The water swirls around in a calming circle which ultimately leading you to a one-way-out funnel where you will be deposited spitting and flailing in a pool of rushing rapids.

Sometimes life is like that. You hop in fully knowing that you will be taken for a ride, but looking forward to the journey. And then there are twists and turns that you didn’t see coming. But you hang on and hope you still have your dignity at the end. Sometimes the ride can be scary. Sometimes the ride can be fun. But it always depends on how you approach it. I say that you need to enjoy it at every turn.

When you get to that place where you are swirling and you feel like so much flotsam and jetsam in the big river of Life, that is when you know that the Universe is giving you all you need. You are circling the goal and all is pointing you in the direction that is obvious to take. That is when you need to take the plunge. Dive on in and know that you will arrive safely on the other side, flailing and gasping to be sure, but you will make it through.

“When a person really desires something, all the Universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.” ~Paolo Coelho

Peggy Nolan writes a blog called Serendipity Smiles with the byline Serendipity is God’s Way of Acting Anonymously. Sometimes I pick the blogs I will follow because of the titles. {I know. I’m an English geek that way.} It occurred to me with her latest post, that I have seen this similar story before. Peggy even concurs that it seems to be the subject in the blogdom. Why is it that everywhere I turn the same message keeps popping up? From the fortune in my cookie I {Do that which your heart tells you} to this post by Peggy {called “What’s Your Excuse?”} …that must be the Serendipity Smiles moment of the Universe telling me what I need to hear. {Or I must be hard of hearing? And the Universe is shouting?}

Peggy is facing an opportunity in her life right now. And it seems as if the Universe is lining up in her favor. I appreciate the demons in her head that are naysaying {you’re not good enough, you can’t do this, how will you live?}. I have them myself. I am thrilled to know that others are in the same raft going in a similar direction that I am. And it gives me hope that I can come to terms with my own demons and steer my little boat toward the light the Universe is providing me.

The Universe delivers exactly what you need when you are ready for it and not a moment sooner. But you have to ask for it in order to receive it. I am just starting to phrase the question, which is a big step. But I also realize that I have to find inner strength to have the courage to face the answer that is coming to send me in the right direction.

“You are here to enable the divine purpose of the Universe to unfold. That is how important you are.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

Have you ever been in a situation where everything is pointing in the same direction? Where every door you open seems to lead you right where you need to be? And the choices you are called to make are crystal clear? Do tell!

CHECK IT OUT:: Serendipity Smiles

Enjoy the day!

P.S. Sorry that I missed the 30 Words last week. {Maybe I should write 60 words this week?!} My art show went well as did our Open House. Nothing to report on the home front, but I will keep you posted! Thanks for all of your wonderful encouragement!