It Shall Be So!

Dear Reader,

Today, I have a story for you. Stories are often our best teachers, and this one is no exception.

Several years ago, not long after Louise and I moved back to the States from Shetland, Louise’s parents came over for a visit. It was Autumn, a time we all love here in Maine, and the time of our respective wedding anniversaries.

To celebrate, the four of us went to the Mount Washington Resort in nearby New Hampshire. It is an elegant place, but with a very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that Louise and I both love. We always feel abundant and peaceful there.

The night we arrived, we went to the downstairs restaurant for a lovely meal. Our waiter, we’ll call him Alan, was a friendly young man with a background in theater, and he kept us in stitches throughout the evening as we enjoyed all the good food.

I had a scallop appetizer that was delicious; the sauce alone was good enough to drink. But the appetizer was nearly the size of a main course, and I started to struggle. I commented to Alan about how wonderful the sauce was, and he said “I know! Would you like me to bring you a spoon? A lot of people do that!”

Slurping up the leftover sauce with a spoon seemed a little over the top, so I declined.

But as I neared the end of the dish, and savored that final, tender scallop, I began to have second thoughts… When Alan returned to clear our dishes, I spoke in my most kingly voice: “Alan, bring me the spoon!”

Alan immediately recognized the game. Without missing a beat, and with a look of approval on his face, he responded, “It shall be so!” He turned smartly on his heel, and strode off with only one purpose – to bring me that spoon.

It was the perfect response.

Not only did Alan crack up everyone at our table, he felt what was right, what was called for in the moment, and acted on his feeling immediately.

And therein lies the teaching.

Dear reader, when you recognize that your inner voice is trying to tell you something important, giving you guidance that feels right and true in a situation, do you act on it immediately, with complete assurance, and without second guessing?

Or, do you hesitate, equivocate, and decide to wait and see how you feel later, thus losing the moment and the momentum?

Guess what happens when you do act, with confidence, on your inner wisdom?

Just as Alan spun on his heel and marched off to get me a spoon to slurp up all of that delightful scallop juice, so too the universe itself will immediately recognize the game, and respond to you in kind.

It shall be so!

Isn’t that a motto to live by?

I honor your loving heart,

John