When the primal forces of nature tell you to do something,
don't quibble over details.
- From the movie, Field
of Dreams
FOR MANY YEARS my office assistant Noel had
a dream to become a certified teacher. 
Noel
often fantasized about going to a specialized school to take
an advanced training, but she was not certain if this was the
correct path for her and she did not know how she would find
the courage to accomplish it. Moreover, she would have to travel
a great distance and take time away from her current work, friends,
and family.
One morning Noel arrived at the office glowing. "I have
decided to go," she told me with a smile.
I could see she was quite resolute. "What made your mind
up?" I asked her.
"I couldn't stop thinking about going. Finally last night I
asked myself, 'Can you not go?' Then I realized that
I couldn't not go. I've been thinking about taking
this course for a long time, and the idea keeps knocking at
the door of my mind. It only gets stronger. There must be a
reason. I have heard that at the end of your life, it's not
what you did that you regret - it's what you didn't do. I know
I would regret not taking this course, so I called this morning
and registered."
Noel traveled abroad, took her course, and received her license.
She also met a man, got married, and now has a beautiful family.
Now she is quite glad she followed her instincts!
Soon after I self-published The Dragon Doesn't Live Here
Anymore, I wondered how to disseminate my book to the public.
I knew nothing about the book industry, and I wasn't interested
in the business aspects of publishing.
Then I came across the catalog of a distributor that specialized
in books related to A Course in Miracles.
I
was a student of the Course, and a significant portion of the
material in Dragon was inspired by the Course. This
company might be a good venue, I thought. But since I was shy
about self-promotion, I tossed the catalog into the wastebasket
and put off my marketing plans for a later date.
A week later I received a letter in the mail from a friend.
When I opened the envelope I found a copy of the exact catalog
I had thrown away. "I think you should send your book to these
people," my friend wrote.
Okay, okay, I can take a hint.
I contacted the company and showed the owner my book. He enthusiastically
put Dragon into his catalog and placed sample copies in the
hands of key people. Soon the book became popular. Before long
I was receiving invitations to speak all over the world, meeting
wonderful people, presenting programs, selling lots of books,
and feeling more fulfilled in my career than ever before. In
a short time my life changed in a huge way.
As we enter this bright new year, many opportunities lie before
us. You may be wondering which one(s) to follow up on, and which
to lay aside. When something is right and important for you,
the universe will stay after you, prodding you to do it. You
may resist your next step, put it off, deny it, or even run
away. But if an event, relationship, activity, or career is
in line with your chosen destiny, it will find ways to get your
attention and keep you in the game.
If you are not sure whether or not to do something, try not
doing it and see what happens. If the impulse fades away, you
have your answer. If, however, the voice becomes more insistent;
or you can't stop thinking about it; or the universe keeps putting
the idea "in your face," you may do well to heed its call.
Rather than judging or belittling your intuitive promptings,
imagine they proceed from a source of wisdom. Most of the time
you will find there was a good reason you were feeling the impulse.
Your intuition is like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger
it grows, and the more easily you will recognize your joy path.
Often you will receive confirmation by some kind of outer sign.
While I do not believe in a destiny that is forced upon us from
some alien source, I do believe that we attract to us certain
situations that we have chosen from a very deep level 
to
advance us along our life path. Very often these situations
keep presenting themselves until we acknowledge, receive, and
act on them. If something keeps showing up and you keep wanting
to do it, give it your serious consideration. If you can't not
do it, then you may do well to allow life to have it wonderful
way.
©
Alan Cohen, 2006
