“Like a bolt from nowhere; fate steps in and helps you; when you wish on a star, your dreams come true” ~ Cole Porter
Do you believe in fate? Or is life just a series of unrelated events that make things happen to you?
Let me tell you a little about my life, not all of it, because with over 40 years to go, this would be a bit long! So let’s talk about the last 3 years.
3 years ago, I was very unlucky, but my life took a turn in the space of just 4 weeks!
January 2008 – I was unemployed. I lost my job as a result of a motorcycle accident, and then I lost my business as a driving instructor because my longtime partner had left me, on the day of my final exam (I had a learner’s license). I had nothing, no money, no job (despite having attended many interviews), no vehicle, my house was in the process of being repossessed, I couldn’t pay the bills, etc. just celebrated Christmas alone. My 40th birthday was fast approaching and I was going to celebrate it alone too. I had nothing to offer any potential partner, I felt very depressed, felt like I had no reason to be alive, and was seriously ready to end it all.
April 4, 2008 – (The day after my 40s) I attended an interview for a position as an agency driver in a warehouse. I left that warehouse, with the chauffeur position to the doctor. Due to my “driving skills” (although my wife would not agree!) I was asked if I would be prepared to take a different position! I think I thought about it for 3 seconds !! I was smiling when I got out of there !! That job took me to a lot of interesting places … And in a £ 60,000 car !!
The same day I got a rented apartment. It meant moving from the city I lived in and had been raised in, to a village I had never heard of!
April 27, 2008 – I moved into my new apartment. I explored the town, found the pub (about 10 yards from my door!) And generally started over (personal bankruptcy was pending !!). I found myself smiling again, and with money in my pocket I found myself enjoying life again.
May 4, 2008 – 4 weeks after the successful job interview and a week after moving into my flat. I was in the pub, a few feet from my flat, enjoying a pint (or two) with my neighbor, when a woman caught my eye. A beautiful young woman, far out of my reach, who was enjoying a night out with her friends. When she asked me to sit down and chat with her I was in awe, I certainly didn’t know that 3 years later I would have been married to her for 18 months! In just 4 weeks, I went from having nothing to having EVERYTHING.
Fate or a chain of unrelated events? I let you decide.
What I’m trying to point out is that you make your own life happen. I have no doubt that getting that job (I just went for the right job) put me in a very positive frame of mind. I was optimistic when I spoke to the owner, so I got the flat (even though I hadn’t started my job). Being happier with myself restored my self-confidence, making me appear more confident to others and therefore more attractive.
Live your life as it comes, deal with everything in a positive way. Problems are just stepping stones to the other more fertile side of the river, there is always a way to avoid life’s obstacles. Take the detour and enjoy the scenery along the way, your Nirvana may be around the corner or on the next hill!