We’re back from our wonderful Rethinking Everything conference adventure, and it was as fantastic and life-changing as I suspected it would be! A giant wave of gratitude to everyone who helped us by donating, spreading the word, and sending good vibes!!! I’m still integrating the ideas, inspirations, and lessons I brought back with me, and will write about those in due time.
However, I do have something to share with you right now, on my second day home (which has, by the way, been filled with cat snuggles, reading, unpacking, and rest).
Through the very process of raising money for our trip, I learned more about the power of trusting the universe, of going with the flow, of keeping the faith. We began our fundraising in May, and I figured that we could raise the amount needed for our airfare by June. A stern voice in my head said that we needed to get our plane tickets two months out, so they wouldn’t be too expensive.
Time passed. We didn’t yet have enough money for the flight, not even after our late-June yard sale. Hmm. “Well,” this blustery voice of ego proclaimed, “we should be fine if we get the tickets a month in advance.” The rest of me replied with a gently-delivered, “sure, whatever you say.” Trusting in the process, having faith that all would unfold as it should. Even being willing to let go of being successful in our efforts. If we didn’t go? There’s always next year.
Next came July, and the voice was as authoritative as ever. It was convinced we wouldn’t be able to afford the ticket prices, which would surely go up. Not to mention, how could we possibly raise all that money for the hotel and other expenses? Good grief. But once again, I didn’t buy into it.
One night we received a note from the conference organizers. The person who was supposed to be running the Teen Camp had to back out – would we take over? In exchange, they would cover our hotel costs. Awesome! We signed on, and it was Faith 1, Ego 0.
We continued to monitor airfare costs, as we inched closer and closer to the amount we’d need. We were a bit concerned about baggage, as the places we’d checked charged for checked baggage, and some of them even charged extra for carry-ons! How light could we travel, while still having the materials we needed for our presentations?
More breathing, more letting go, more faith.
We ended up getting our airline tickets one week before flying out. On the phone with BlackLion as he made the arrangements, I recalled that someone (hello, Universe) had recently mentioned being sure to check JetBlue. So he did. And…ta freaking da!
We ended up flying, all three of us, round trip from Boston to Dallas via Jet Blue for….drumroll…. $725. Seriously. Not only that, but we could each have 2 carry-on bags AND our first checked suitcase for FREE. There’s more. We flew during the day (we’re just not morning people, so it was perfect), with no layovers. Direct flight, both ways.
JetBlue was awesome, and not only will I use them again, but I highly recommend them to anyone. However, that’s not the point.
My point is, the worrywart voice of the ego is not the whole picture. It blathers on, sounding very knowledgeable, but it’s full of hot air most of the time. I mean, where did those “rules” about how far in advance to purchase tickets even come from?!
The lesson I take from all this? Have faith. If something is meant to happen, it will. That doesn’t mean sit back and not work toward your goals; we did put a lot of effort into helping this trip happen. But combine it with faith. Go with the flow. Release your attachment to the “cursed hows” as Mike Dooley calls them. Ask. Believe. And you’ll receive.
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