“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
This quote by the Dalai Lama is one we should keep in mind as we travel through our life journey. For me, it’s a reminder that we do not always know what is best for ourselves, but the Creator does. It may very well be that something we hope for is not part of our individual path and would lead us away from the direction we were created to follow.
The Dalai Lama’s words serve as a reminder to be watchful of our ego desires. Those are desires we have at the conscious, thinking level. According to Jungian theory, our ego consciousness is just one part of our psyche; in fact, a rather small part. Our psyche also includes the personal unconscious which has a significant influence on our behavior and reactions. And we are further influenced by the collective unconscious, which is the part of the psyche that is derived from experiences and memories we have in common with all humankind.
When I point out the importance of being watchful of our ego desires, I do so with the intention that we keep in mind there are more influences that affect our decisions and actions than those of which we are consciously aware. Once again it’s important to do our best to pay attention to our dreams, synchronicities, and intuition as we make decisions. For it is through them that contents from the unconscious can become part of our consciousness.
An example from my life is the decision I made to move to a large city 24 years ago. I had grown up in a small town, had gone to college in a small city, and had been working in a different small city after graduating from college. I had never had a desire to live in a large metropolitan area. But because of dreams, including one where some women were packing my belongings, and because of an intuitive sense that it was what I was supposed to do, I made that move. At the more conscious level, I knew that my daughter would be able to receive higher quality instruction to develop her talents and that I would be able to earn a higher income. But it was the dreams and intuitions, and the sense it was the Creator’s will, that gave me the motivation and the courage to make the move. And 24 year later I still know it was what I was supposed to do.
By not getting what I thought I wanted of continuing to live where I had been living, I have received so much more.