I Got Nothin’

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Have you ever put your intentions out into the Universe and felt like you got nothing? Well, that’s how I’ve felt this past month since I retired.

My last day in the office was the 23rd of December with the 31st being my last official day. Since making my decision in early September I had been consciously giving my future to the Universe, thinking I was completely open to anything and confident that She would show me the path once I retired. I had a few ideas I’d been working on since summer, but they were now not resonating with me. Was fear trying to talk me out of my plans? At this point I wasn’t sure.

On December 24, Christmas Eve day, I was browsing through Facebook when I saw a dog and a cat that needed a foster home. I immediately thought I want to give that a try. I love animals and have always wanted more than one dog, so what better way to try than to foster. My thinking at the time was if it all worked out it could be what they call a “foster failure” and I could adopt this little dog. I contacted the rescue to inquire about fostering and was met with enthusiastic joy. Since it was Christmas Eve, I assumed that they would need me to take this cute little dog quickly; however, that wasn’t the case.

I had never fostered before so I had no idea of the procedures, so I waited. I was contacted a couple of days later to fill out the fostering paperwork, which I filled out and sent back. Then there was more waiting. I thought, well, maybe it takes this long because they are doing a background check, which I totally understood. Then I thought, maybe it was due to the holidays, or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. My mind was all over the place wondering if I’d even made the right decision to try this, especially so soon, just one day, after my last day of work.

Christmas came and went, then New Years. On Sunday morning, January 5th I was restless and decided to browse places I could do volunteer work.

What I realized later was, I was still trying to control everything and I really hadn’t released anything to the Universe.

After coming up empty-handed, I logged into Facebook and there staring at me was a volunteer opportunity at the rescue where I was supposed to foster the dog. I quickly sent a response which was in turn, responded to immediately. We set up an appointment to tour the facility for 4 PM that afternoon. An hour after setting up the appointment I was notified that the lady who had the dog and the cat emailed earlier that morning and she was bringing them to the rescue at 3 PM that same day and I would be able to bring the little dog home with me that afternoon. I was excited!

Sometimes the Universe conspires to give you what you want so fast and so synchronously you believe what you are manifesting is where you are supposed to be. However; as was in this case, sometimes it is to give you another opportunity to realize that the path you think you want to take is not the path for you.

Needless to say, the fostering didn’t work out and I’m changing focus in the manner which I will be volunteering with the rescue. But as with every opportunity, I did learn a lot about myself through this experience. Sometimes I don’t always learn the first time and while this was my first fostering experience, I had other similar opportunities in the past trying to work with animals which also didn’t work out for different reasons. The bottom line is I have learned I am just going to have to continue to do what I've always done, which is rescue and love one dog at a time.

As I mentioned earlier, I had given my future over to the Universe to help direct me, but I got nothin’…or so it seemed. When I mentioned this to a close friend I was challenged with, “Did you ever think that getting nothing is really something?” I was completely blown away by this question. My friend went on to explain, “the Universe is allowing you to think, ponder, experience and analyze what you FEEL you need. It is allowing you to guide yourself. It is giving you time to experience phases of your new life and act upon them. Cherish this time of freedom, but never forget that the Universe is behind you when you call upon it.” I was literally speechless. I realized what I was really doing was actively looking for and trying to control everything in order to figure out what I was supposed to be doing.

These words were exactly what I needed to hear in order to stop looking and truly be still.

And as the Universe would have it, once I truly stopped looking and trying to control things, it was only a matter of days when I had a vision of where I should be going with my training and teaching, which is what I had been working on for months. Maybe the fear was initially subconsciously stopping me. I wound up finishing and launching both my Facebook page and website last week and truly feel whatever happens, happens.

Then, once I started to work on the lesson plans for the workshops I would be creating in the future, I was contacted by one of the classmates from my yoga teacher training for information on where I took my Reiki training. After I provided the information, I realized that I while I didn’t train to become a Reiki Master in order to teach others, the opportunity to teach had just been presented to me. Though there is definitely some fear surrounding all of what I will be creating and teaching, I know with certainty that it is completely aligned with the path of my soul at this point in time. I reached back out to my classmate and offered myself to teach her Reiki, which she happily said she would be honored to learn from me.

So… when you are sitting there thinking that you are getting nothing, remember that the Universe is always listening and when the timing is right, you will be shown the path in which you are to take. I am excited for these new opportunities and look forward to following my soul’s destiny. I am open to whatever the Universe has to offer and I know that every experience in life is an opportunity!

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