I was bummed. The deadline for my audio book was in two days. I had recorded it weeks earlier but had procrastinated about editing it. Until now. And guess what. The quality of the recording was just not good enough.
“I can give up trying to meet the deadline,” was one thought. “I can go buy the $30 pop screen I should have thought to buy in the first place and start over,” was another.
Why had this happened? I had planned to complete this project on time. There was an opportunity I wanted to take advantage of. I would still complete the audio book, it was the deadline for this particular marketing opportunity that was suddenly presenting a problem.
Or so I thought.
Actually it was a gift. Yes, I went out and bought the pop screen, and yes, I started recording the whole book again. But here was the gift. It was much better than the first time I had recorded it. I had changed. My energy was different and the recording reflected it. What turned out to be a bummer, turned out to be a blessing.
And I changed my method. Instead of recording the whole book, I recorded a section and then edited it. That met my need for completion and I was no longer faced with a marathon of just editing at the end. It was actually two gifts.
Timing is everything. Sometimes things don’t manifest because the Universe had bigger and better plans for us and it’s not time yet.
Sometimes it’s about losing a job you should have quit months before. Sometimes it’s about having an opportunity suddenly appear that you jump on and it throws your current plans right out the door.
Sometimes it’s even about waiting a few hours. A few hours to think. A few hours to calm down. A few hours to make a decision.
When things don’t go according to plan we have to think “Whose Plan?” I personally think the Universe chuckles out loud when I start setting time lines for myself, because what do I know about the Grand Plan?
Besides I love surprises. And if I were too attached to my own time lines, how could I drop everything to jump on the new opportunity. What needs to be done will be done. What needs to be done for others will absolutely be done on time. I need to prioritize on the fly. I need to measure the new opportunity against my ultimate intention.
When things don’t go according to plan see what new plan is being offered. Notice how your thinking has changed. Notice what new opportunities have been presented.
Then be grateful for the gift and unwrap it with the joy of having received a special gift from the Universe – because that is what it is.
Sometimes delays happen for a reason. Look at the brighter side…
