For example, Nerissa and I had dinner with friends recently. One friend was complaining about her job. From her perspective, there was no way out of the misery she felt at her place of work. Bad boss. Bad hours. Bad pay. You name it, it was bad.
Later we were joined by other friends. As "chance" would have it, one of the new friends had connections where our complaining friend worked. He gave our unhappy friend a name, and said he could help her resolve her issues. He went on to say that this connection was a supervisor, head of many departments, and could probably resolve whatever was wrong.
I was stunned. So was Nerissa. We were seeing magic happen right before our eyes. But what did our unhappy friend do with her new lead and new hope?
She dismissed it. She didn't write down the name or the number, or show any signs that something wonderful had just occurred.
Do you see how this works?
Sometimes we can self-sabotage the things we say we want. We simply dismiss the good.
Let me end this with another example:
Yesterday I received a letter in the mail about a new audioprogram about dissolving illusions. I read the piece but dismissed it. I figured it was simply stuff I had already heard before and probably even recorded elsewhere myself.
Then today I got another mailing, this time from a different source, but selling the exact same audioprogram. I read it over closely. I thought, "This is interesting, but I bet there's little new in it." I then placed the mailing aside.
An hour or so later, as I was reviewing this very article you're reading right now, I suddenly realized that I was doing the very thing I am warning you not to do: I was dismissing an opportunity to learn.
I dug out the mailing, filled out the order form, and dropped it in the mail. The audios are on the way. The point is not that you buy everything that comes your way, but that you don't dismiss everything that comes your way. Sometimes a dismissal is a mask. It's your self-sabotage at work, keeping you where you're at. To grow, you must allow.
Again, you are the final authority on your life. Tune in to yourself and do what's right for you. And as you do this, be alert to those times when you may be dismissing the next gift to come your way.
