I was playing Scrabble (R) with my husband and mother-in-law, when my eyes suddenly told me I was seeing a long word. All I would have to do is move the letter tiles around, and the word would emerge. I felt the possibility even before the semblance of the word appeared. I just knew it was there. Wow! A five, maybe even six, letter word.
PASTE? PASTED? STAMP?
Deep breath. And another. Wait a minute! STAMPED! I can use all 7 tiles. But I needed to connect them to another tile already on the board. Hmmm. Another deep breath.
Omigosh! There it was...an idle E glaring at me, challenging me to a STAMPEDE. I complied. And the rest is history. My Stampede earned me 50 additional points, and a moment of glory. You've got to understand. Using all 7 tiles is to a Scrabble (R) player like a hole-in-one is to a golfer.
Wahoo! The feeling of accomplishment was exhilarating. I went on to win the game, but that paled in comparison to the earlier victory. The difference was in how I felt that I was on to something, paid attention to it, remained calm, and followed through.
How many times have you come across a situation in your life when you felt a nudge to just move forward? Did you stop and think and wonder if it would be worth it? Did you analyze the circumstance to death, convincing yourself that it would take too much effort? Did the voices in your mind cajole you into merely standing still?
Or did you accept that the possibility was at least plausible, especially because of the feeling that accompanied it? Did you venture on in spite of? Did you listen in silence to the urging that offered support? If so, what happened?
The outcome is not as significant as the fact that you acted on that intuitive nudge. Something good came of it, even if it wasn't the answer to an age-old question or a solution that prompted a medical marvel. Suzanne Falter-Barns, business branding expert and author, (How Much Joy Can You Stand?) reminds us that, "...when you quiet your mind and concentrate hard enough, the guidance is usually there, turning your hand this way and that, moving you to blend unexpected colors."
Listen. Breathe. Focus. STAMPEDE.
RemarkAbleWoman, what will it take for you to have your 7-letter word or your hole-in-one?
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