I was sitting at a red light this morning. Stuck behind a car going straight that was blocking me from getting to my turn lane. The left turn light turned green, one car went, and I couldn’t move. The light turned yellow, and I couldn’t gun it to get through the intersection, I was blocked. The light turned red. And then the car in front me moved forward through it’s green light and I could finally get into the turn lane, stop, and wait for my turn. I was frustrated, I had missed my green light… Or had I?
It’s easy to get confused on our path in life about timing. We get excited about things that may happen, or things that should happen. But if things don’t happen, you can usually find there was a good reason. Sometimes that reason is simply that it wasn’t your time. I saw the light turn green and I wanted to go through, but it really wasn’t my turn, it was the other cars turn and I was getting ahead of myself.
There are once in a lifetime opportunities. When these come along we should make every effort to seize them. But most moments, the moments that we tend live each day in, are cyclical moments. These are moments that will come and go, and then come again.
It can be hard to recognize it, if we’re too wrapped up in our own experience, but it’s a privilege that we get to watch these moments unfold for others around us. Like the traffic light, it can be frustrating when you see someone else having their moment and you thought it was supposed to be yours.
Frank just got recognized by your boss in a big meeting for his good work on the last project. You worked on that project.
Sally just won a free car payment from her bank. You’re paying for a car too.
Alan just fell in love. You want to be loved.
But, these are not your moments, these are their moments.
Your time will come.
Like a traffic light, in your life there are times when you have the green light, and there are times when you have the red light. Remember when a light turns red for you, that means it is green for someone. Except for at that stupid timed intersections where there are no cars going the other way and you just have to sit and wait. Those are just annoying. But that’s a metaphor for another time.
There are times when you see the light turn green and you’re still far away from the light. By the time you get to the light it’s turned red again. You can get frustrated with this, or you can remember, it was not your green light. It was not your time. But your time will come.
Today relax and embrace the cycles. If you see a moment come and go, reflect on the truth that it may not have been your moment at all. But if it was, and you missed it, relax in the knowledge that if you need it in your life, it will come back. You are whole, complete and cared for. Your time is going to come.
Namaste,
Kevin
