I had a good job. Making good money. Things were finally going my way. Everything was going my way. And then something happened. Nothing started working out.
I found a great place to live down in Naples. Didn't work out.
Went a looked at another place. Didn't work out.
Found a roommate situation that looked promising. Didn't work out.
Found a house with a friend of mine. Didn't work out.
I was looking for a new car. Didn't work out.
Met a girl. Met another. And another. Didn't work out.
Wanted a side gig for the extra cash. Didn't world out.
Once I lost my job I sent out tons of resumes. Didn't work out.
I created a new website for myself and one of my ideas. Didn't work out.
I created another one and sent over 200 emails trying to get some business. Didn't work out.
If I wanted it, it simply wasn't going to work in my favor.
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I often wonder when in situations like that what in the world is going on.
It's situations like those that can leave you feeling absolutely desperate.
And more than the feeling, really desperate.
Your money runs out. You can't do the things you need to do. You can't move. You can't go anywhere. Everything you do fails.
All you were trying to do was make your life better, so why isn't it happening? It makes no sense.
The only thing you're trying not to do is fail - and that's the only thing that works out.
You fail.
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The cliche is "something better will work out" and people will tell you, "you're going to be fine. You always are."
But how do you know that and why should you believe that?
I know that because I just trust that things are going to work out.
God is good.
Sometimes failure isn't failing at all but succeeding from not seeing the bigger picture.
I don't know that to be 100% correct, but I'll give you some examples of why I think that.
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I really wanted this house in the Cape. It was a nice house. On the canal. It had a pool. It reminded me of my old house in the Cape and all the things I lost.
I thought, "if I can just get this house in the Cape, my life will start returning to normal. I'll feel like I've put the past behind me and am moving on."
I didn't get the house - and it's a good thing for 2 reasons.
1. I was let go from my job only weeks later. Had I got the house, I would have risked the chance of losing the house - another house - because I had no income.
2. The house I eventually did get is only 4 doors down from my old house - the one I lost. And I love it. It's got a pool. It's got a dock. It's on the same canal.
My canal.
I didn't see either one of those things coming. Not in a million years.
Who would have guessed.
Here's another:
I met all those girls. This one here, that one there. I was all over town for a time.
I liked them all. I thought them and I could make a pretty solid run at it. And then they each said the one word I hate above all others: GD.
Never thought any of them would say it. I mean, I curse like a sailor, but I'm not touching that one.
I hear that all the time. I don't need to hear it from someone I'm with.
No love loss here. Those girls were not the girls for me.
But there's one out there somewhere and eventually ...
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I take a long view on things. Mostly.
I don't do it when I'm desperate. Out of money. Scared I'm not going to have food or a place to live. But even in those times, what can I do?
I think if you take the long view that you have a better chance at making it through the short term problems.
Joel says, "is this a 5 year, 5 month, 5 week, 5 hour or 5 minute problem?"
That's a pretty good way to look at it.
My mom used to sing that song, "One day at a time, Sweet Jesus, that's all I'm asking from you". I like that too.
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When you've done everything you can and nothing you do works out, stop.
I know it's not easy but you have to settle down and let things just kind of go the way they are going to go.
You've got no control anyhow. Right? No matter how much you try and how hard you press, what will be will be.
You don't have enough information.
Don't give up - and keep pushing forward, but trust. Just trust.
You really haven't failed. It's just, you don't really know the better things that are coming.
And good things are coming.
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