One thing I’ve come to believe over the years is the importance of being mindful of the themes that show up in our lives. Why? Because serendipity serves a purpose, testing our “readiness” for evolution. But to learn the lesson, one must first listen.
I’m reminded of the joke about the man who drowned even though he prayed furiously to God to save him. The story goes that the fellow was stuck on his rooftop as a result of a flood and was praying for God to help. Soon someone came by in a rowboat and offered to help but the man refused, saying that God would soon save him. Later another person came by in the motorboat offering assistance. Once again, the man refused, saying that his faith in God would save him. Finally, a helicopter flew overhead and the pilot shouted down, offering to rescue him and, just as before, the man refused.
When the water rose above the rooftop, the man drowned and went to Heaven. When he was standing in front of God, he shouted, “Why didn’t you save me? I had faith in you, but you let me down.”
To which God replied, “I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter. What more did you expect?”
I blogged about themes presenting themselves last year when the topic of preferred love languages randomly came up three times in two days. When I see things come up more than once, I pay attention because I never know what opportunity might be presenting itself.
In fact, I’ve become so keen at recognizing patterns that now my ears perk up with only one repeat. A recent example involved two different Facebook friends asking similar questions along the lines of, “If you could sit on a park bench…” or, “If you could spend the day with anyone living or dead, who would you choose?”
I’ve thought about that question many times. In fact, I once wrote about trying to choose between Ellen or the Dalai Lama. I took a humorous, light-hearted approach, but the truth is that I’d love to spend time with either one of them.
Interestingly, when the questions were asked most recently, my immediate inclination was someone very different — myself. But not me as I am now, the me that I could be if I weren’t worried about what anyone else thought. The highest, most evolved version of myself. The Wise Woman within.
Which begs the questions…
What is in the way of my becoming the woman I could?
How would I be different than I am now?
Good questions for when I’m sitting on the park bench with my most evolved self. I wonder how she would answer? Yes, I’ve got a lot of questions I’d like to ask.
Again I’m reminded of the story of the drowning man. God never parted the heavens to shout at the man, “Get in the boat, you knucklehead!” Likewise, if I were sitting on a bench with my most evolved self, I do not think she would tell me what I yearn to know. Instead, I think her response would be, “If I told you the answer, then where would your learning be? Trust your heart and follow where it leads.”
And there, dear Bravehearts, is the answer and the lesson for me. I must trust myself always and in ALL ways. Sometimes I second-guess myself, and in doing so I stay where I am — stagnant.
I commit to listening more intently to the inner wisdom who whispers to me in my dreams and through my intuition. I commit to allowing that wisdom to guide me.
What themes are showing up in your life? How are you responding?
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Wow the them of change and shifting are showing up for me this week and the more i journal the clearer I get , Thank you xxx
That’s a great theme to show up, Suzie. You are ready for whatever is next! You go, girl!
This so resonates with me, Sheila! How many times in our lives do we ask for guidance or an answer to a question and yet don’t accept the answer because we want a different one. It took me a long time to learn to trust my own inner voice, as I was too ‘out there’, not believing my answers were the right answers for me.
Like you, when a theme continues to show up in my life, I pay attention. I take a step back and see what it is telling me and what is coming toward me. I also have learned to say ‘yes’ to the things that continue to interest me, or that I have a curiosity about. Sometimes, I admit, it can be scary to step into the unknown, but like you, I trust myself in all things in all ways. Maybe it is years of experience and the wisdom gained from them that brings us to this place. As I have found, it is a much healthier way to live life. Thank you for this post!
LOL, you make such a great point, Beverley, about asking for guidance and then resisting because we were hoping for something different! Sometimes I think we are all here to learn the same important life lessons, one of which is learning to trust ourselves for we have all the answers within!
Thanks for being here and sharing in the Braveheart community!
The theme that keeps showing up for me lately is about happiness, and how making ourselves happy is better than making ourselves rich or famous.
That’s a great theme to present itself. If you don’t have happiness, what is left? Thanks for sharing, Barb.
P.S. You are famous in my book and internal riches flow endlessly… 😉
Love this as themes show up to teach us. The theme for next month is let it go and let it flow. Super happy to allow the divine flow. Xoxo
What a great theme, Natasha! I love it!
Thanks for sharing in this space. xoxo
The theme that is showing up for me is self-care first, when I am not healthy, happy and thriving, nothing else works.
You got it, Rachel. Love up on yourself as much as you can for that makes you all the more able to serve those around you!
Thanks for being a part of the Braveheart community!
Years of experience have taught me to trust the message however and whenever it shows up. I don’t think there’s a recurring theme right now so I will continue to pay attention, listen, and wait. (Maybe that’s the theme.)
Thanks for a lovely post.
I hear you, Andrea. That very theme (pay attention, listen, and wait) has been playing in my everyday background for a long while now. And while I sometimes grow impatient, I know that the “reveal” will be worth it!
Thanks for being here!
Love synchronicity! Grazie!
I so love how this whole post is making me “feel” the theme. Self care is the theme of my life right now…but steeped in love.
xoxo, Z~