“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.”
-William Hutchinson Murray
When I first heard the quote above by the Scottish mountaineer and writer, William Hutchinson Murray, bells went off inside me. I knew what he meant and had experienced that power of Providence moving in my life at so many times when I wanted something with all my heart.
The first time I recall was when I deeply desired to attend Connecticut College, but had received scholarships to other colleges. Being the oldest of seven children, I knew there was no way without financial aid, so I wrote a letter to them and told them why I wanted to go there, and what I could bring to the school. At the end of August, just weeks before school began, I received a full four-year room and board and tuition scholarship from a local alumna. Some would call this luck, others synchronicity. I call it the movement of love in my life, and it moves through this world in a perfect way.
Law of Attraction experts have been saying it all along—that what is required to become an intentional creator are 3 things:
- Vision of the future
- Letting go of all obstacles (surrender)
- Felt state of the desired future
Desire
A vision arises out of deep desire. Desire has its roots the word de sidere which means “from the stars,” and indeed it has been proven that “we are stardust,” as Joni Mitchell famously sang in “Woodstock” Everything we are and everything in the universe and on Earth originated from stardust, and it continually floats through us even today. It directly connects us to the universe, rebuilding our bodies over and over again during our lifetimes.
The most essential aspect of creation is that we cultivate a vision of what we deeply desire.
The desire may be there in a person, but most people get caught trying to figure out how they will accomplish their dreams, The problem with getting stuck at how is that we cannot possibly know all the hows about anything, and if we think we do, we are limiting ourselves to our own fears and we block the powerful and ever-present flow of love in our lives. We may falter, hang back, fail to make the decision needed to stick with our dreams when their realization may seem out of reach. When we know our why, we can move mountains.
I was so moved by this movie, “Little Boy” that tells the story of Pepper Flint Busby, the youngest son of a man who goes off to fight in World War II. It’s a poignant story of the child's amazing love for his dad and the power of faith. Pepper knew his why so deeply, that indeed, miracles happened.
Decision
The Latin root of the word decision literally means, “to cut off.” When you make a decision you cut off other choices, other courses of action. That can be frightening to some people and feel very limiting, but in truth, it is liberating. It frees up the energy to get behind the decision with your full heart and give it all you have.
When a person refuses to make a decision, they are actually making a decision for resignation. They are cutting off the possibility of success, which is ironic, as the fear of failure may be at the root of not deciding. Clearly, becoming more comfortable with the possibility of failure would help, and cultivating self-compassion can goes a long way in such situations. If you know you will not condemn yourself if the outcome is not what you want, you are more likely to take the risk involved in making a decision.
Dedication
Whether it is a decision to stop being judgmental, to heal, to save money, get over an addiction, write a book, or leave an unhealthy relationship, you need to put your full energy behind it to create change. This is called dedication, which means to consecrate or give oneself over to a purpose.
If you know people who are dedicated to something, they are often filled with passion and joy. They seem to have boundless energy and fortitude to stay the course, when others would quickly give up. It is one of the most important qualities for a parent to cultivate, or anyone who has committed to a long term relationship, because there are countless moments when not much is coming back from all you are putting in.
If you are sitting on the fence about something, ask yourself what you are afraid of. Take a good look at it and then go deeper. Ask yourself what is at the bottom of your desire. Remember that you are stardust!
If you need help, get in touch!
