Once upon a time, I moved all the way down to Mississippi for a job; for a new start. A state that had never even registered on my radar in terms of a place I would want to live. The years that led up to that decision were some of the hardest of my life. So painful and disheartening that I had literally lost my inner compass, and quite frankly, I was ready to walk through whatever door offered a glimmer of what I needed at that time. Stability. A measure of peace. The chance to rebuild some faith in my fellow man.
I had what I perceived as a “false start” prior to the opportunity that led me to Mississippi, and even though that left me feeling even more discombobulated and led me back to the place of my discontent, I see now that it served a purpose. I hold on to the people and the places I encountered in Virginia, forever in a special place in my heart, and I often reflect on experiences there and the lessons I learned during that time. All of this was completely out of character for me, but in hindsight, I realize that was the whole point.
I arrived in Mississippi with little more than some clothes and personal items that were necessary to get by, and checked into a hotel that would be my home for the next couple of months. I knew exactly one person in all of Mississippi and that first year was a whole lot of adjustments, I won’t lie. New job, new attitudes to deal with, a few “characters”, new ideals, new places to explore, new challenges, and quite frankly a new Ginny, because I had been fundamentally changed. It was hard.
To say 2020 threw us all a curve ball would be the understatement of the century, putting us all into situations that we could never have foreseen, and for the most part, we were unprepared for across the board. I, like many others, soon found myself unemployed, with no immediate prospect for reemployment in the field I had spent the bulk of my career mastering. It has been unsettling, to say the least.
Until recently, I was averaging 12 applications a week through Indeed alone. That average has fallen off lately because I have literally exhausted their current job postings. I have utilized other sources as well, but prior to this week, I scored exactly one telephone interview. One phone interview in four months' time. I was beginning to lose hope. I was stepping into fear. I was getting pissed off! It was time to stand back and take another look at this situation, which brings me to the point of this writing.
Every painful, scary, unforeseen experience since my world “fell apart”, every closed door, every false start, has served to push me in a direction I would never have taken otherwise, but in hindsight has been advantageous to me. I have come to love this area that I live in, have met some extraordinary people, built what I believe are some lifelong friendships, had some new experiences that will stay with me forever, and have had the chance to once again find my “center”. Even when I struggled, I was loving every minute of it and I will never regret the impulse that led me here. I am now stronger than ever, and the last few months have proven that to me.
I began to question whether I was needlessly struggling because my purpose here had been served, and I was subconsciously fighting the next step in my evolution. When I looked back, I realized that things seemed to fall into place easier, and work out to my advantage, when I quit resisting the change. Unless I am the driving force behind it, change is never comfortable to me. I like my comfort zone. I like my routine. I like being in control. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m speaking the truth.
But, there is a lesson here, not only for me, but for all of us. Sometimes, all you can do is all you can do, and that has to be enough. There are no coincidences, and everything happens for a reason. Yes, my world has been turned upside down again and I may have to make another major change in my life, but I have come to terms with that fact. I am doing all I can do and beyond that I have to hold on to the faith that I am being led to something better. To hold on to any other belief would be foolish and serves no purpose.
I think we are all in that place. 2020 and Covid-19 has turned our world upside down and when we come out the other side we will never be the same again. We can fight it if we want, but that will not turn back the hands of time. What’s done is done. All that we can do, all that any of us can do, is everything we can to the best of our ability, and then have faith that the outcome will find us in a better place. Denying the fact that we are in a transition is impossible at this point as the world as we know it appears to be crumbling before our eyes.
But, we need to hold on to the belief that we will come out the other side better, stronger, and more centered. To entertain thoughts to support any other outcome would be beyond foolish, because as within, so without. This is a difficult concept to fully comprehend and even more difficult to put into practice, but your outer world is a direct reflection of your inner thoughts. This is the key to “faith”.
For those with a more secular understanding of the world, it’s the Law of Correspondence and/or the Law of Attraction in action; “manifestation” in its purest form. So, “guard your thoughts” is more than just a suggestion in passing. More than a quaint little saying. It’s a biblical principle and a universal law.
And here is a word of warning to those who would wield this power for selfish gains or to cause harm to another; as you sow, the same you will reap. This is the Law of Cause and Effect. What you dwell on, you create. What you sow in thought, you reap in experience. And if you wield that power with selfishness or malice, it will circle back to you—without fail.
Guarding your thoughts isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of your reality. Wield that power with care, with intention, and with love, because it will return to you multiplied. Your world, and the world around you, will always rise—or fall—to the level of your mind.
Choose wisely. Know that you are powerful beings and learn to wield that power in a positive way. Your inner world writes the script for your outer world. So choose the thoughts that build, not break. Shape, not shatter. Guard your thoughts… because your future depends on them.
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