Tejal V. Patel, Mindfulness Coach, Author and Meditation teacher
What can red leaves in August teach you?
A sign of a great teacher is one that gently suggests you in the direction of your answer but never outrightly tells you what to think or believe.
Nature is one such great teacher, if we are disciplined students, keenly aware of the subtle suggestions.
When you find the courage to make your passion your profession and are living in line with your purpose to serve the world, you believe things should flow easily and effortlessly.
If we are fulfilling the mission we are meant to do in this lifetime, why do we face challenges, failures and dead ends along the way?
When you feel blocked, it's easy to compare yourself to other entrepreneurs, further along on the journey, and begin to doubt if you will be successful too.
You question, "Why aren't things happening more quickly? If I delay, I'll become irrelevant. Why does it feel like the Universe is working against me?"
I recently faced a roadblock in fulfilling my spiritual mission. In my frustration, I asked, if we have positive intentions to serve others why don't things flow smoothly?
My frustrations lead me to have a low vibe day. Rather than resist it or complain, I acknowledged my negative vibes and gave myself permission to feel that way for one day.
That evening my husband suggested we go for a walk to get some fresh air to clear my mind.
It was a late August evening in South Jersey. The day was 90 degrees and humid but when we went for our walk, I could feel a palpable shift in the energy. The wind brought news that the crispness and coolness of fall were upon us. As I watched the majestic trees swaying in the wind, something caught my eye.
When I saw the leaves bustle, I saw a small patch of red leaves among the sea of green. My favorite fall foliage color leaves are the red and orange variety.
My first thought, how strange "Red leaves in August?"
If it was Fall, when I expected red leaves, I would have looked at the leaves in admiration, beauty and respect. But the sight of red leaves in Summer was odd. It was too early for the leaves to change color.
The next morning, determined to wake with a refreshed energy, I hit my meditation mat bright and early.
I meditated on the idea of how trees teach us how to flow through life without resistance. Trusting the unspoken flow of energy in the leaves that tell it to change colors, fall down and grow is also within us. But what is the lesson behind leaves changing colors before the ripe time?
What came through was this message.
When we manifest our desires before we are ready to hold the magnitude of their power, we either lose it prematurely, not appreciate it or it doesn't have the powerful impact it could have if it was birthed at the right time.When things happen before their time, it doesn't leave a powerful soulful impression.
At that moment a gentle current of peace flowed through me. A deep trust and faith that this moment is exactly how it is meant to be. we are given the exact challenging experiences we need to help us spiritually grow. So long as we continue to take small, guided steps in the right direction, things will unfold exactly at divine time, not my timeline.
Feeling grateful for the lesson, I went on my front porch to get a glimpse of those red leaves to give them the appreciation they deserved.
But I couldn't find the leaves. I looked for several days, to no avail. I smiled at the mystery of nature that is constantly sending us signs if we are aware. We are sent exactly what we need, at the exact moment we will be aware... Now that's divine timing.
Tejal V. Patel is a mindfulness coach, author and meditation teacher who believes mindfulness isn't a fad. It's a way of life. She helps free spirited mamas create calmness among life's chaos aka a Mod-Zen lifestyle. She shares simple mindfulness tools and meditations through her Tejal.TV show. Sign up for free weekly inspiration at www.AstitvaSeekers.com and join thousands of modern mamas on a powerful journey to create the first generation of mindfulness children and the next peace leaders.