Divine Timeline

Things never seem to work out as planned … at least, not how we planned them.

Even the best-laid plans get derailed. We set objectives and chart our course, but our deadlines pass with our goals frequently unmet. This usually causes desire to falter and passion to dissipate. What was once an exciting opportunity mutates into a frustrating blockade.

Much of this aggravation can be alleviated by an often overlooked, subtle yet powerful element of the attainment process. With this elusive principle we detach from outcomes, especially in reference to time. This spiritual concept contains profound wisdom shrouded in mystery: How can you be clear about what you want and effortlessly restrain yourself from wanting it immediately?

Living in a culture of immediate gratification, patience and trust are obscure virtues. High-speed Internet connections are sluggish, microwave ovens are time-consuming, and our professional aspirations crawl toward completion. But learning the gift of your divine timeline can alter your need for haste—whether you’re a mother of five or a chief executive.

Deadlines stimulate a sense of urgency, curb procrastination, and provide a tool for measuring progress. Deadlines instill focus, inspire creativity and guide decision-making. Deadlines are important.

Visualize a deadline as a straight line—with you at point A and your objective at point B. Most of us believe that this line is finite, starting where you are and ending at your deadline. In truth, the line is infinite (without beginning or end), filled with unforeseen bumps, twists and loops over the horizon. (So the line isn’t actually straight.) This ceaseless pathway is your life adventure, and a deadline is simply an arbitrary point along your obstacle-ridden Journey. This road ahead requires trust in Divine guidance because these unexpected curves and challenges are always around the bend.

Trusting in a Divine timeline requires a belief that you are being guided, having faith in God and in Divine creation. You are here to serve a purpose (even if you’re not 100% certain what that purpose is.) Operating on faith, you can eradicate worry from your life. If you know things happen in their own time, what is there to worry about? Worry is a feeble attempt to control situations, putting negative energy on something that is beyond our control.

Periodically remind yourself that things find their way. I was once fearful of this principle because I thought it might cause complacency and enervation. (As the argument goes, if things are meant to be, then why get off the couch? Which gets us into the sticky, predetermined destiny vs. free will debate. That’s for a later discussion.) Avoid this trap. It’s simply not true. When you connect with your Divine guidance, you find a renewed vigor to tackle greater personal challenges and expand your territory. You still have to do the work, but knowing that everything is divinely planned takes the pressure off. Your adventure will reach the next enchanting gateway, but you don’t need to know when.

Simply trust and do what you know to do.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey