Have you ever wondered if a door was truly opening or whether it was just another shiny thing appearing before you, teasing you?

Sometimes we want something so much that it can be difficult to decide whether the perceived opening is really something we should pay attention to or whether it is a distraction from our journey.  

When our “wants” are so strong, we oftentimes confuse the two.

It takes patience and focus to stop and ask yourself if this is what is meant for you at this moment.

On the road through experience, I can attest to wasting years following pursuits I thought were meant for me. I went down rabbit holes, chasing the shiny thing only to admit too late that I was led by something other than what was going to support me on my journey.

Likewise, there have been times I missed an open-door opportunity due to fear or uncertainty that I had the skill or ability. Fear drove many of my decisions to hold back and stay in my comfort zone. Timing is everything.

This week we lost a very dear friend – suddenly. It is one of those deaths that stopped us in our tracks, made our hearts skip a beat, and rendered us without words. Time stood still for a brief moment.

This loss has given me pause; I’ve wondered how much time I’ve wasted pursuing opportunities that were never for me. Worse yet, how many opportunities slipped through my fingers because I was afraid or because I didn’t believe in myself? Timing is everything.

Without the certainty that we’re going to have tomorrow, it’s important to be certain of our path, our calling, the direction we want our life to follow so that we can make the most of the time we do have.

Our choices today have a direct effect on our life tomorrow. Today we are as blessed as we’ll ever be. That is something I whisper to myself every day.

When you’re trying to understand who you are and what your purpose is, walking through the right doors at the right time is serious business and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Timing is everything.

Through this tragedy of loss, I am more committed to live my life happily, to love without holding back, to eliminate negative people and negative situations from my life, to minimize my time on social media, to look up more, to sing and dance more, to read more, and to put my bare feet on the earth as often as I can.

In times of strife, I hope I can remember to ask myself “what would water do?” Water finds its way around obstacles and can either be powerful or soft. It can take on the form of a solid, liquid, or gas. I hope my answer is be humble, be in harmony with what is around me, and be open to shaping myself to the situation I’m in.

Timing is everything. What will you do with your life today?