Everything happens for a reason…
Ah that classic old line for pseudo-thinkers and the philosophical youth. I’m not mad at it; it’s a step in the right mindset, in my opinion. A simplistic approach to often much more complicated situations can lead one to acceptance. Making sense of the moments they live.
As I wake up to my alarm, in the form of heat being emitted from the sun, my senses are tingling. I stretch, in a bed that is not mine, and suddenly relocate myself. I’m in Brooklyn. ‘For no reason’ other than it’s where I felt I needed to be.
Ah, New York. How invigorating, inspiring and awake you always seem to be. The spirit of dreamers and believers provides a warm sense of belonging, a familial sense – one of confidence, of ideas and awareness. The essence of DOers and executors, the movers and making-shit-happeners – the ones who believed enough to press reset on their lives, and start from scratch – due to that overwhelming sense of belief. The ex-9-to-5ers, and the freelancers. The artists, the entrepreneurs, the energy. No wonder NY always gave off the vibe that there’s always something happening. The city that never sleeps – because there’s way too much shit that needs to get done. There’s always a reason.
Look. I’m not going to sit here and act like I don’t enjoy my life – I quite do. But I won’t act like I don’t want to change a million and one things either, because I do. The universe has blessed me with lessons along the way, in the form of incredibly joyous moments and in the form of anxiety-inducing road blocks along the way. The good and the bad, the easy and the difficult, the Yin and the Yang.
I’ve spent the better part of my youth and adulthood attempting to find my place in this world, and my sense of orientation has never been my strongest point. Therefore, I’ve spent years running in circles. Infinite loops of new beginnings from old loose ends. Constantly attempting to better yesterday’s mistakes, while trying to anticipate tomorrow’s possibilities. It’s not promised. So we attempt to fulfill our senses on a daily basis, while hoping for the best. Hope. It’s the intention that counts, right?
Without going into too many details, my life has taken a completely different course over the last week. Realizations, confrontations, revelations, ends and new beginnings. New chapters, new books. The universe, or God, whatever you may call the driving force of our existence, has clearly been laying down the possible paths along my way. My destinies are varied by the intentions that fill my heart – my desires and passions, my beliefs and understandings, my courage and cowardice. I didn’t ‘ask and receive’, I’ve opened my ears and eyes, opened my mind, my heart and listened. I’ve paid attention the signs and omens, to my intuitions. For better or worse. But you can’t always touch what you feel. You don’t always taste it, but you sense it.
Our lives are more than these 5 elementary senses we’ve been taught to believe in. We are taught these basic pillars of knowledge because they are the most quantifiable – the most objective of senses, the easiest to understand. Yet, we speak of our ‘sense of humour’ on a daily basis. Or a form of telepathy and energy transfer when we feel someone staring at us in a coffee shop. Or the ever-so common phone call by a friend we were JUST thinking of. Or premonitions. Dreams. Subconscious emotions which dictate the course of our actions, or sometimes days. These are all different senses at work.
Eastern mysticism speaks of the third eye, while western psychology attempt to quantify, or find a scientific explanation for a heightened sense of awareness. The reality is, the signs are all laid out, the universe speaks of the variables in your path, and it is up to one’s ability or belief to decide whether one remains blind or follow it’s many possible courses. Follow the path of least resistance, while working hard towards the one that makes the most sense.
‘You should’ve known better..’
So after hearing this tidbit of life-changing news, something inside told me to visit some friends in New York for a surprise birthday party. I packed my bags, without a return date in mind. Don’t worry, I’ll be back real soon. But I needed a different sensory input, refill my tank of gas – the energy that drives me. Often, you need to step back to look at the bigger picture, even when you don’t know what the picture will even look like.
But if you step back, and use your other visionary senses to picture in your mind what it will (or should) look like, you fill your mind and your heart with the intentions that will make it all possible. If my laughter can be linked to my sense of humour, then my intentions should also be associated to a sense. It is a driving force, if not THE driving force behind every decision, every act and every mistake. Replenish your senses before embarking on a journey. Rest your mind, rest your heart, and believe that what you are doing is the right step in the direction that ‘feels’ right. Feel it. And if it doesn’t, press reset. Tomorrow is not promised, but when it comes, it’s never too late.
I wish you all strength, courage, belief in your convictions and luck, as I wish the same for myself, as we embark on a new chapter of our lives on a daily basis. Success should not always be measured in the form of financial gain. My senses are more valuable than the cents I was paid to execute what made the least amount of sense.
So goodbye Damien, hello Navid. Hello Boih. Respect your senses. Respect the universe that exists in your mind, and believe in your intentions. Believe in your abilities and never end your quest for your raison d’être, your purpose. Work hard to bring it all to fruition, to its existence. In the end, it’ll all make sense.
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