My
next chapter has started…and as I was getting into the swing of things I
realized that I literally opened a new page.
It
is that simple and yet very complicated. When you think that your life
experiences have given you control over the steering wheel, one incident or “a quiz” as a new friend has described it, can easily force you to put your
life on hold.
I
was “paused” if I may say so, for quite some time. And when I was given the
green light to walk again, I literally started running as if I was going to
miss my train.
And
what really prompted me to write this post was a thought I just had about
letting go. What a difficult lesson it was to really understand what letting go
of control really meant.
I
will share a story I read in a book about a woman who was stuck in traffic. In the rear view mirror she could see a speeding truck approaching her
without any signs of stopping or even slowing down. She freaked out and held on
to the steering wheel with all her strength. That is possibly the normal
reaction anybody would have if faced with a similar situation. But as she could
see that the truck was going to inevitably hit her from the back, she
immediately decided to let go of the steering wheel and allow destiny to take its
course. The truck hit her car and she
only suffered minor injuries. She later found out that if she had kept her
hands on the wheel she would’ve died instantly. But because she let go, she
allowed her muscles to relax and therefore saved her own life. Letting go saved her! And I think this
applies to everything we do. Assuming control over our life can really hurt us.
There’s
so much beauty in life if we learn to let the universe do the thinking for us!
If
we’d only pause and think of all the plans that never saw the light or the
number of times we said I will never do this again, I think we’ll stop holding
on to the plan as if it were the bible.
When I experienced life in Beirut, I
said I would live here for the rest of my life. I made a vow to myself never to
go back to Jordan or Dubai. And guess what? I always tell that story, the
angels packed my bags and sent me back to Jordan for almost two years and they
packed them again and brought me back to Dubai.
And I can share a hundred similar stories about the many paths I never
thought I would cross, and the beautiful people I never thought I would meet!
Looking back, would I have wanted a different outcome? I don’t think so. I
would’ve tweaked my plans to accommodate the same exact train of events.
All
I can say at this point is thank you God for all your blessings and to all the
good friends that have kept me sane throughout the difficult phase, I don’t
want to imagine what my life would’ve been like without you in it!
