Universal Timing

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“Many of us have been running for all our lives. Practice stopping.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

When I returned from my business trip three weeks ago, my nanny had left the extra garage door opener on the counter. I saw it and somewhere in the mix of putting things back where they belonged, I misplaced it.

Normally I’d spend hours looking for it. Because my default in life is doing. I’d much rather be driving action than just waiting for things to appear. I’m not good at being. Or unsolved mysteries.

But I don’t really need that extra remote. Sure, it helps when we go biking. However I think the practice of just being is worth the hassle.

It seems silly to make an object lesson out of the extra garage door remote but for me it’s all about the feeling underneath the drive to push. I have a million examples of things I want to steamroll with action instead of finding the flow of when the time is right: responses about the new work project, for my friend to return from her trip so we can talk, for fall to come before I put away the outdoor rug, to know what’s worth writing about instead of just what’s top of mind and on and on.

I spend a lot of time working and willing to happen. This will not be one of them. The more that I can put things in that category, the better I get at feeling the Universal timing. With more experience, I start to appreciate The Flow of Life.

So I resolved not to look for the garage door remote. Yesterday as I was preparing my kids to go a playground, I had a feeling I was going to find it. Sure enough, it was in the backpack of playground supplies – sitting right on the top. I laughed in appreciation and understood it was waiting for me to swallow my lesson to learn to go with the flow and stop forcing action.

Do you have a preference between doing or being? Do you practice the other?

53 thoughts on “Universal Timing”

  1. I love just being (that’s the lazy in me speaking) and out of the beingness, the doing becomes a want-to-do, rather than a have-to-do. I don’t call it my Lazygirl for nothing, you know!

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  2. I would say this. Our strengths are also often our weaknesses. New skills are demanded by new situations — as the world changes and age changes us. Knowing this and accepting it are steps toward a more satisfying life.

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    1. I like how you include “accepting this” as part of the formula for a satisfying life. Indeed a key part of the formula. What an interesting and wise comment!

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  4. I love your patience Wynne. This is a good message for me, definitely something for me to work on. My first reaction would have been to hunt down the remote – hell or high water. I would have assumed that I left it somewhere, giving a robber easy access. Yes, I know it makes no sense. I would have tried to just let it be but it would’ve been on my mind. The thing is that: when I’m in the moment, I’m at my calmest and happiest. Great message, thanks for posting.

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  5. Loved this: “Yesterday as I was preparing my kids to go a playground, I had a feeling I was going to find it”(your garage remote). Amazing how less LOOKING = more FINDING. Thanks for the reminder this morning…as a fellow do-do-doer, I’ll always take the encouragement. xo! 🤍

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  6. I’ve been contemplating the same thing recently, feeling the push and finally realizing I just need to let time fill in the blanks. So much easier to breathe that way.

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  7. I typically want to meet a challenge head on and solve it. That’s really not the best answer for everything is it? Let’s just say I get a lot of practice but have not refined my technique yet 😉

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    1. Well said, Ally. A balance of at least slowing down first. Love the practice you describe of finding that “be” state before setting off. Profound!

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  9. Being an inveterate ADHD child, I too am of the Nike mindset Wynne . . . Just Do It!

    Thankfully, God in His Providence gave me a patient, logical, contemplative spouse with a Think First! mindset that tempers my impulsiveness. Consequently, many of my “How did this Happen?” self imposed dilemmas are adverted . . . PTL! 😊

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    1. Oh, you know how to make me laugh in recognition, Fred. “How did this happen?” indeed I’ve suffered those. Love that you and your wife balance each other out like that. PTL!!

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  10. Love this Wynne! I misplaced a new favorite shirt that I just bought and yesterday was my birthday so I really wanted to wear it. I never found it and did spend part of my birthday looking for it all day. Such wasted time I now think after your example of not forcing things. I finally gave up and wore something else to my dinner and the progress was that I didn’t let it bother me. But the next time I misplace something I will take your route. I did end up buying the shirt (actually 2 just in case lol) last night. It is a very cool 😎 shirt. I also am in the middle of several very immersive projects and have new focus thanks to your writing to not let unimportant things stop me from working on them! Thanks so much! I decided that commenting on your blog to thank you was important! Off to my projects!❤️😎🤨

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    1. Happy birthday, Victoria! I’m so glad you were off to your birthday celebration, even without finding your new shirt! And that’s wonderful about your new immersive projects. Sending you wishes for a wonderful year ahead and great luck in your endeavours!

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  11. I am so not good at being. I would have made myself (and everyone else) crazy looking for the remote. This was a great reminder. Thank you, Wynne!

    As a side note, I love that your alluding to intuition (in feeling like you’d find the remote) sort of aligns with Vicki’s post today. It’s so cool when that happens. ☺️

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    1. Yes, it is so cool when we get those intuitions. I agree! Thanks for weighing in and letting me know I’m not the only one with the instinct to go crazy looking for the remote! Hope you have a great day!

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    1. Ah, that’s an interesting thought. I remember Dr. Scott Peck saying in an interview that he got so much done because he sat and did nothing 2 hours a day. Maybe it will help!

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  14. I’m all for following the flow and not pushing things too hard. I’m seeing that sometimes when there is hesitancy or delay, there is a good reason for it. The old me used to ignore the subtle warning signs and then regret it later. The new me is trying to listen to the messages I’m being given!

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      1. Those are important! I just avoided potentially a very costly mistake, and the subtle warning signs were there! If I had been focused solely on achieving what I thought I wanted, I would have ignored them, to my own peril!

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  15. Oh, but how I keep completely resonating with everything you write! My last couple weeks have been about this exactly.

    About four months back, I chose to take on a huge new responsibility at work. The timing in my life was not good for that, but the opportunity itself was so rare and perfect for me, I ultimately decided I’d be worse off if I didn’t seize it than if I did.

    In this newer role, I have been trying to lock down certain things before they are ready to be locked down. Noticing this (and all the churn it adds!) a few weeks back, I told my manager I am going to practice sitting back and letting things unfold … the better to reduce churn from my usual zeal for acting early. This intention was greeted well. 🙂

    Today, I am taking it easy. My body is being quite clear there will be consequences if I try to move at anything above a snail’s pace, a message to which I am (finally) learning to listen.

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    1. Love these examples of deep listening on both personal and professional levels. It’s hard to recognize when we are creating our own churn – but so rewarding when we stop stirring up our own waters. Hope you succeed at taking it easy today, Deborah!

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  16. This is a wonderful reminder that sometimes if we leave things be, a problem almost solves itself.

    I am similar in that I feel the need to respond and to act right away. And sometimes I can be so stressed that the immediate response may not be the best. And strangely, when I let things be, it almost solves itself in that a better response comes after I let it sit for a bit.

    Universal timing indeed! And glad you found it!

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    1. Such a good comment and reminder that problems work themselves out. And just as you say, often just the way we approach things is better if we sit with it before beginning. As always, I resonate with what you say, Ab!

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  17. Like you, I definitely tend to be more about doing. It served me well for many years (although, I’m sure I probably needed to work on more just being and being ok with that). Now, dealing with chronic illness, I’ve had to work on just being. It’s hard; I won’t lie. But, and I’m still learning, just chilling and being a human is ok, too. Thanks for your post!

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    1. I can imagine that chronic illness would reshape many things – and of course the balance of being vs doing being a big one. Kudos to you for learning to be okay with it, Belle. And being human – such a great way to put it! ❤️❤️❤️

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  19. Just as “not all who wander are lost”, neither are all who laze lazy” 😁 I’m kind of in the middle of doing and being, but it can be tough to balance. When I’m out of balance, too much being still feels healthy, too much doing does not.

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  20. Amazing!!! I definitely struggle a bit to stay in the flow of things and not push. But wow when I stop pushing, sooooo much magic floods into my life. So yes, I’m pro flow 🤣🤣 and thank you for this beautiful post 💖

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    1. You and I are soul sisters on the pushing – but yes, the magic that happens when we don’t. Ahh, it’s beautiful.

      I think you need to make some “pro flow” art. That is a great slogan!

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