Monday’s Meditation: On Form Vs. Content

October 7, 2013

One of the things that trips us up most in life is our expectations–we are told we need a vision in order to move forward, to bring it to fruition. And so we go ahead and hatch one.

But while the universe always manages to provide us with some version of what we want or need, it has been known to, on occasion, tamper with the specifics. At its base level, the content of whatever we need or desire will be given to us, that much is certain. The form in which it arrives, however, will almost always veer from our initial conception of it.

And this is what trips us up; too often we remain hung up on that initial form, thinking incorrectly that our mental picture will incarnate precisely, dismissing, meanwhile, what’s presented to us that appears differently.

For the longest time, I imagined that my professional life would revolve around employment at a publication–a magazine, a newspaper, or something of the sort. From the age of six, I told my parents I wanted to be an author. And yet, when I began looking for writing jobs, there seemed to be none. The few highly covetable positions at the prestigious publications were gobbled up by eager applicants who had already interned at Vogue and The Times three summers in a row. And the positions themselves were in cities in which I had no desire to reside.

It was a depressing couple of months, scrolling those job sites, sending over well-intentioned, if despondent, cover letters.

Of course, now I see that the supposed absence of writing jobs was what opened up the possibility for me to pursue Live Simply. That the universe had slightly different plans for me, which, ironically, ultimately provide me what exactly what I had been seeking all along: a happy, fulfilling life, in which I am able to express myself creatively, to help and care for others, and to spread my Simple love.

While I was chasing the vision I had created for myself, the universe was sending me the message that what I wanted I could have–I would have–but it would arrive in a form which allowed me to do the most good in the world. Thankfully, I heeded the message.

And this is what I think we can have faith in above all: the universe will always help us to achieve what we wish for, but, being the universe, it will all be slightly altered, so as to fit perfectly into the bigger picture of What Is.

Our challenge is to define what we want down to the deepest levels of what that thing is– whether it’s a job, a place to live, a relationship–so that when it is presented to us, we can recognize it, regardless of the exterior form it may take.

That it doesn’t look exactly as we’d pictured it is usually more, not less, of a sign that we’re on the right track.

 

Have you experienced a differentiation in form vs. content in your own life? What were you expecting and what did the universe provide you with instead? I would love to hear; plop it in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends. Thank you so much for reading and have a great week. 

2 Comments

  1. Annie on October 7, 2013 at 6:42 am

    Thank you so much for this post. I am in the midst of job searching now, and I have been struggling with what form my professional career will take. What a perfect perspective and reminder for a new week of searching! Thank you again for sharing. xo

    • Annie on October 8, 2013 at 8:36 am

      From one Annie to another: you are welcome. And also: GO GET ‘EM.

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2 Comments

  1. Annie on October 7, 2013 at 6:42 am

    Thank you so much for this post. I am in the midst of job searching now, and I have been struggling with what form my professional career will take. What a perfect perspective and reminder for a new week of searching! Thank you again for sharing. xo

    • Annie on October 8, 2013 at 8:36 am

      From one Annie to another: you are welcome. And also: GO GET ‘EM.

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