Back to Article index To print this page, click on the Print icon in your browser.   Eyes of A Stranger   There are no accidents. Nothing and nobody crosses your path by accident. Messages and lessons present themselves to you many times every day. There are no exceptions.   Every moment of every day you and I both have the opportunity to change our lives dramatically and forever. It does, however, require some diligence and attention to environment and circumstance.   I was in San Diego one weekend in July. It was not a trip I was looking forward to with great excitement and, in fact, I'd considered staying home and not joining the others with whom I'd be traveling. It wasn't until the morning of departure I knew with any certainty I'd be going.   It seems whenever I travel to San Diego my emotions are right on the edge, my nerve endings feel exposed and I'm sensitive to everything. This was no exception. Part of it, I think, is I still carry the imprint of hearing about my mom's death in the airport on my way to visit her in San Diego. That was just over a year ago. This trip started the same, not with a tragic message but with tears. Almost everything made me cry and I had to distract myself to maintain any kind of composure. I began questioning the wisdom of me making this trip.   Once checked into our hotel, we walked to Seaport Village. The Village is a delightful shopping area of unique specialty stores and eateries. One of our first stops was an art gallery we'd visited before and, in fact, had made a purchase in. My first "coincidence" happened with one of the art pieces. I already own a piece by the artist whose work attracted me this trip. This time, the piece that called to my soul was one of flowing lines and vibrant color. It is titled "Soaring" and it opened my heart for the weekend. I could feel the tears in my eyes as I connected with the piece and asked the sales person to remove it from the case so I could get close to it. I did purchase the piece and, for now, it sits on the corner of my desk allowing me to touch my own core every moment I am in my office.   While we were making the purchase, there was a woman behind the counter who kept looking at me. We made eye contact many times while I waited for the transaction to be completed. At some point, Ruth came around from behind the desk and commented on the beautiful sand dollar pendant I was wearing. I thanked her and she made another comment that it was being worn by a beautiful lady. Well, like most of us, my self image is not always at it's height and this was one of the weekends when I was feeling much less than beautiful. Her words touched me in the same place the art piece had: at my center. She gave me a gift in that moment allowing me to re-connect with myself on a deep level. Ruth was with me the entire weekend though I didn't get the opportunity to tell her what her words had meant to me. When I returned to the art gallery two days later to speak with her, she wasn't there.   There were other things happening during the weekend. I know if it had not been for my experience at the art gallery and with Ruth, I would not have even noticed my other lessons. What I know to be true is exactly what I said in the beginning of this article - there are no accidents. The challenge remains for me and for many of us to be aware, to notice and to be open to the learning we are given each moment. It is a skill and does require you, in the beginning, to be conscious of your choices, yourenvironment and your focus.   When you make a choice, you are changing the course of your life. Sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically. With every choice comes change. Know that and trust it.   Your environment and the people in it are a major source of lessons and learning. Learn to notice who and what is around you. There are clues and omens everywhere - in the books you read, the street signs, even the homeless man begging on the corner. Learn to notice and to read the message. I'm still learning this skill. I don't always get it and still I trust that, all around me, are the lessons, messages and omens I need to see.   What you focus on becomes your reality. Do you know what you really want your life to be or are you focused on what you don't want in it? You've heard you create your own reality. This is true. The rest of the story, though, is if you focus on what you don't want, your eyes are not able to see what is in front of you as clearly as they might otherwise. You see, instead, validation of what's wrong with your life or what's missing. You miss the messages and lessons. You miss the opportunities.   What I want for you is to experience the same kind of magic I was a part of in San Diego in July. Open your eyes, notice and respond to what's around you. Be ready and willing to open your heart and touch your own soul. It will change your life.     © Copyright October, 1999. Laura Hess, MCC 702.252.3657