My friend Louise shared this quote with me over Christmas:
what’s for you won’t pass you by
I find it of great comfort. We don’t have to try so hard. Sit back. What is perfect for you will come. Trust life and it’s myriad forces that operate behind the scenes.
I have tended to push way too hard. But I push, I’m often resisting, blocking…why else would it require that I push? I forget that the best things in my life have come when I’ve sat back still and knowing and trusting and magnificent (!) and let things flow in and towards me. So reminders are good.
I also came across this letter from John Steinbeck to his son in 1958, from the book Steinbeck: A Life in Letters. It is another reminder.
The teenager tells Dad he’s in love. Steinbeck’s advice is so sound and caring and helpful (for the full version of the letter, go here).
Dear Thom:
First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.
Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.
….Lastly….
don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens —
The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love,
Fa
I play around with this idea…of letting things come, rather than pushing and fighting, accepting the right thing won’t miss you…a lot here on this blog. It’s become a theme. I like to post reminders of the phenomenon, so we can all find comfort and allow the flow of life to do it’s thing.
Do you have a saying/mantra/thought along these lines, too?
