THE INVESTMENT
February is proving to historically be a month in which my life is presented with catalysts. For the past several years, the month of February marks a month in which people enter my life to catapult me in to another hemisphere of awareness. Today was nothing short of a gift, and I am so full of amazement tonight that I just couldn’t let it go.
Awareness: it is life’s greatest gift. Really. I can’t believe most days how little I used to pay attention to the details this life has to offer. Until two years ago, I didn’t realize just how selfish and secluded in my own way of thinking and living I had become. A failed marriage, life as a single mother, in a job I hated, and physically feeling like the world was collapsing on me I genuinely began to question my existence. (Not in a suicidal manner mind you; but in a mere "purpose" sense). My reality was questionable and the only real truth I knew was that I had to keep it together for the little boy I was raising.
I learned some pretty amazing things today that reaffirmed my belief in this thing we call life: the greatest gift you can give people is your time and a part of yourself. Today the universe was speaking to me for certain and it occurred to me just how lucky I am to be in a place in life to be awake.
My day began with meeting a prospective client, which most of my days do begin this way. But today was different, and I knew it would be the moment my feet hit the floor. It was a feeling. And one thing I’ve learned in a very real and deep way in the past two years is that you should always trust your gut feelings and instincts. I didn’t just meet a prospect today…I met a soul connection. These are my absolute favorite kinds of connections because they are the moments you realize we are walking in the same life and sometimes we are all so parallel and unaware by choice. It’s such a wonderful feeling to meet people at the right moment at the time you absolutely need it. Today was that day, but it was met in not just one meeting but five. (I felt like I was close to reaching Mitch Albom status today and The Five People You Meet in Heaven). Sometimes we get so caught up in our own life we forget to pay attention. I knew when I woke up today that it would be a day I needed to pay attention even more than usual and I am so glad I did.
In the interest of protecting the individuals in my private conversations, these are my soul connections and realizations of the day: the person you walk the same life with and you finally get to meet; the person you want to walk the same life with but it’s the wrong time; the person you have mirrored in life and they will serve as a mentor; the person who will teach you new things you have yet to learn; and the person who brought you in to this world. (Okay, no secret on the last one…but proof that even the people who know us better than we know ourselves still have the ability to change our life for the better).
The common threads between all these worldly connections are these: we all start somewhere, we are never too young or old to start over, we can always learn from each other, and when we invest emotional capital in someone the return of investment is always greater than your own contribution. Life has a beautiful way of injecting the right kind of human capital into your investment fund at the time the market will peak (forgive the business analogy…I attended a luncheon on Wealth Management today, too). And to think that three years ago I would have missed ALL of this is a concept I can’t even get my head around any longer. Today’s meetings touched me so deeply that I don’t know that I can appropriately convey my sentiments. But I do know this: today was my affirmation that I AM on the right path in life, I HAVE made the right decisions for me and my son, and I CAN and WILL do this life thing with awareness like never before. And I get to live each day knowing that anything can happen and I can meet anyone at any given moment who will serve as a reminder, a lesson, or an opportunity to be a better version of myself than I was the day before. How grateful I am to know the gift of love for this life I have been given. And all the more motivation for me to continue to foster the development of this in my son so he, too, will live life awake.
What an emotionally charged day to happen all at once. But damn! How rewarding. One day I’m going to write a novel on all of life’s little crossroads and intersections that have changed me (while somehow protecting the innocent and I shall call it February because it ALWAYS happens in February).
My lesson of the day: wake up. You could be missing some of the best gifts because you’re caught up in your own bullshit. Nothing is permanent. Things will end. New beginnings will present themselves. Life is too short to be asleep. Show people your vulnerability at the right moments and don’t fear rejection or judgment and just trust your gut when it’s time to reveal yourself. Know that you always have the power to change the path you are on. And when you have the strength to do so, know that it will work if your heart and mind are committed. There are too many wonderful people and things to experience so get started on your own investment fund.
February is definitely my bull market.
-BWT
“A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid any more.”