The Year of Redirection

By Alan Cohen

One way I like to make the end of a year work on my behalf is to assess how the past year has redirected me. It’s tempting to look back and regret errors I made or things that seemed to not work out.  But failure and regret exist only at the shallowest level of appearances. What seems to be a dead end sign is an arrow pointing you in another direction. The universe is saying, “This is not it. There is a better direction for you. Go that way and you will find what you are looking for.” No movement in life is wasted. It all has a purpose. You just have to know how to read the signs.
Dee and I were shopping for a new home when we found a lovely parcel on a mountainside. The lot was large with magnificent views, a meandering stream running through it, and decently priced.

Although we would have preferred a property with a home already on it, we liked it and told the real estate agent we were going to make an offer. She arranged for us to meet the owner.

The day before we were to sign, I received a letter from the bank that mortgaged my current home, informing me my mortgage would be more than doubled starting the next month. This had to be an error, so I phoned the bank. The agent informed me the loan I had taken out had been based on interest only for ten years, and now I would have to start paying principle. This news was burdensome, considering I would have to pay a large mortgage on our current home until it sold, plus the new one and build a new home. I felt overwhelmed and told the real estate we would not purchase the new property.

A month later we discovered another property closer to the ocean, a few miles down the hillside from the one we had looked at. This property already a well-built turnkey house on it, a great view, plus a car and truck thrown in with the deal, all at a price not much higher than the mountainside property.  We fell in love with the place, a friend offered us the money to finance it, we made a deal, moved in, and loved it.

Living at the lower altitude, we discovered the weather in this microclimate was entirely different than those nearby. We looked up the mountainside to see the property we had originally considered and noticed it was extremely rainy. Our new property was almost constantly sunny. We could hardly believe the difference in rainfall over just a few miles distance and a few hundred feet in altitude. But it was so.  We were grateful that we didn’t purchase the mountainside property.

Looking back on the process of the mortgage being more than doubled at that exact moment, dissuading us from purchasing the mountainside property, I see  the mortgage increase was a huge gift. Spirit was redirecting us to live in a place more desirable, and avoid the work of building a home. What seemed to be a curse was a blessing. We eventually sold our house, so everything worked out perfectly.

Everything is working out perfectly even when it doesn’t appear to be so. All spiritual traditions teach that the world we believe is so real is really a manifestation of maya, or illusion. When a job, business deal, or relationship falls through, don’t be fooled by the current appearance. There is more going on than meets the eye. If this was right for you, it would have worked out. There is something better in store. Relax, breathe, and be patient. You are being redirected.

What is right for you will find you without struggle or suffering. If you have to fight with yourself or someone to make something happen, it’s not it. There is a better fit for you, and you can have it if you let life take you where it—and you—want you to go. How has this year redirected you to get clear on what you want and — don’t, where you would like to head now?

Alan Cohen is the author the bestselling A Course in Miracles Made Easy: Mastering the Journey from Fear to Love. Alan H. Cohen (author), and Twitter @alanhcohen