Telltale Omens

When it is time for us to change course in life, frequently it is a difficulty that ushers in the new era. Why? Because for many of us, that's what it takes to get our attention.

When I was a magazine editor, in my publication there was always a place for the story of how some significant change came into being in a person's life. Time after time, the most powerful stories originated with a person who had a death in the family, got laid off from a job, was diagnosed with a serious illness, got divorced or separated, lost a good friend, were forced into a radical career change, had a near death experience, had a serious accident, started getting visions or hearing voices. All kinds of things. And those were among the most memorable stories we published. Most of the time, these stories did not come from famous authors or celebrities, but from individuals who had a profound, life changing experience and were just going about their lives without any publicity.

I continue to observe this truth among people I meet, and people I read for, people who need healings.

It is easier to see after that event is over and your life has changed how something so negative ended up being the catalyst for the positive changes that came next.

Strong medicine is often required because so often we get these gentle warning signs and subtle omens that indicate a shift, and we just miss it. How many of us had to learn a lesson about backing up copies of documents and photos we store on our computer because when a previous computer crashed, we were not able to retrieve our data?

Telltale omens. When I used to crew on a racing yacht years ago, we always kept an eye on the little ribbon way up above you that will tell you which way the wind is moving before we changed the position of the sails to take advantage of it.

When we look back, how often do we see the signs that something needed to change before the big event unfurled?

Keep an eye on the telltale signs and the subtle omens, the gut feelings, the shift in the wind.

As we learn to do that, we can make changes before we are forced into making changes. We will have the luxury of initiating activity and creating results in a conscious way. Seeds germinate in the damp, dark earth before they unleash their energy and propel sprouts upward to blossom into new plants. And the seed shell has to crack for those new roots to take hold.

Gratitude will help us make these transitions better than anger. Gratitude will nurture our progress and our new growth. It is a key for making the transition from grieving to emerging from darkness, difficult and challenge.

If we read the telltale omens, riding the torrents of energy, even the turbulent and difficult ones will be a different adventure.