THOSE CLOUDS REALLY DO HAVE SILVER LININGS
The whole thing about ‘Patience’ and ‘Unfolding’ has been a theme of late.
As another month came to an end I reviewed the achievements and completions of the past 5 weeks. There was plenty to smile about and be grateful for. There were also those things that I had put out there that hadn’t come to pass or as some would say, manifested.
There inevitably started to rise up a bit of frustration and annoyance. I had been clear about my requests. They had good ecology. For some of those projects and endeavours, other people aside from myself would have benefitted. So, with that in mind, where’s my stuff? Where’s my desired outcome? Why didn’t I get what I was asking for and requesting??????
The first realisation was how lucky I am that I have gotten used to putting thoughts out there and having them show up; Watching a documentary on the final ever concert by Queen and Freddie Mercury and thinking how great it would be to meet Brian May when I went to his next concert, and then 2 weeks later having a private meeting with Brian May’ in his dressing room after the show.
At that point I had to take a moment to stop, smile, and drink in the fact that my random musings and thoughts both for myself and for my clients definitely do seem to come to pass in the most extraordinary of ways.
I am currently running my Magic Programme which is all about daily gratitude and thanks. It has been literally life transforming for many of the people that have gone through the programme so I was really happy that it was there to remind me to benefit from it too.
I made a note to self to sit down with my Gratitude Journal which I supply as part of the Magic Programme, and put those things down on paper so that I could savour each and every one of them for it is all too easy to become complacent about such things and take them for granted.
So, back to my stuff. I then looked around my house and smiled as I was then reminded of the house that I almost purchased many years ago. I had been living there with my then partner for several years. When we split up (after he had an affair and left me for another woman). I decided to remain there because there was only so much upheaval I could take at the time. With hindsight it was also probably temporarily a way of holding on to the past as I gathered my strength and got ready to face the next chapter of my life, alone, rather than living the life I thought we both had planned.
A short while later the landlord announced that he was selling the property and asked if I would be interested in buying it. Despite it basically being in a very poor state of repair, I said yes. Some of the worst bits had been fixed over the years by my ex-partner and I figured that I would at some point take out a loan and give the house a much needed makeover.
So, estate agents were engaged, lawyers were hired, surveyors were paid. A couple of weeks before we were supposed to agree the date for exchange and completion the landlord gazumped me. While he was dragging his feet, house prices had been steadily rising and I suspect that he wanted to see if he could go back to the market and get more.
The news of his pulling out was delivered by a scrappy handwritten note pushed through my letterbox. Not only that, he wanted me to move out so that he could ‘do the place up.’ Now I’m not a big swearer however the air was decidedly blue that day.
The following day the local paper complete with property section was delivered. As I looked through, still in a bit of a rage, a property caught my eye.
The night before as I had pondered the landlord’s betrayal I made a list of what I did want. It included ‘a brand new kitchen and bathroom fitted by a proper builder’ (the one’s in my current house were from the 1960’s), plus I wanted off street parking for my vintage Merc (unheard of in my price range).
The place that caught my eye was a flat, right in the centre of town. I’d never considered a flat or living centrally before. I almost didn’t realise that there were houses so close to the centre of town. It was more than the mortgage that I had secured but I called the estate agent anyway.
It was a small place. As we walked up the stairs to the flat the agent said “It is very rare but this is one of the few properties on this street that comes with private off-street parking. The current owner is a builder and he’s just fitted a brand new kitchen and bathroom.” I couldn’t believe my ears. I of course put an offer in and the short version is that the flat became my new home.
The decision in part was fuelled by the actions of both my landlord and ex-partner however, something about it, despite the suddenness of it all just felt right. I was no longer trying to square peg myself into a round hole and make the best of the situation, I was choosing what was right for me.
Now why do I share the long rambling story of my house purchase? Because, over a decade on I still live on the same street and I LOVE it. I am 5 minutes walk from the mainline station which is 20 minutes into central London. I am also 5 minutes walk from the main shopping centre. In the house I was set on buying before I was a good 40 minutes walk away yet had convinced myself that I was ‘close to town.’
If the truth be told I almost hated that first house but I fell into the trap of making do. At the time it was easier to stay there than uproot my life and step out into the unknown. It was easier to put up with the poorly fitted windows that let in a draft while you were in the equally poorly fitted shower. It was easier to stay with the memories of the devil I knew.
I can’t tell you how much I love my current house, my neighbours, and my proximity to everything that I need. Fate does of course have a way of working things out, however I doubt that I would be living here if it wasn’t for that crushing disappointment all those years ago and seemingly not getting what I wanted.
So, with the things that haven’t yet worked out, I put myself back into a space of trust that it will be what I have dreamed of, or something even better, even if I cannot, at this stage envision what that ‘something better’ might possibly be.
I often share with my private Breakthrough Clients and Workshop delegates the Steve Jobs saying ‘that you can’t join the dots going forwards.’ It is so profoundly true of life. It is sometimes only when you look back that you can see where those so-called mistakes or wrong turns have led you.
Even my boyfriend leaving me turned out to be a brilliant turn of events because it was a major catalyst in me changing my life completely, and eventually led to one of my first full page magazine articles which then led to several media interviews and speaking engagements on a similar topic. It also put me in a place where I could powerfully work with people around the subject of relationships and getting over heartbreak because I had been in the thick of it myself and had come through in record time whole, healed and brightly philosophical.
I am so very grateful for all of the wonderful things that have come to pass in my life, even if they showed up wearing the coat of anger, sadness, fear, or guilt, and I am open to all of the amazing things that are yet to unfold and come to me in glorious and magical ways that I never dreamed possible.
As a colleague that I spent many happy years working with used to say, “All Good Things!”
Marilyn Devonish
ABOUT MARILYN DEVONISH
Marilyn Devonish is a Life TranceFormation Specialist, Corporate Trainer, Keynote Speaker, and Breakthrough Coach. She works with both organisation and individuals looking for bespoke, unique, and powerful ways to change and transform their lives or business.
Marilyn is also a Freelance Magazine Writer, Workshop Leader, Hypnotherapist, and Certified PhotoReading Instructor. Passionate about easy yet lasting transformation, she has been working in the field of change management since the year 200o.
Tel: +44 (0) 1923 337282
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