signup
for email updates
Directory
Our
Archive: 2001-2004
Cover
Art Archive
Search
|
What are you waiting
for?
Our Soul's Journey | Zeal Okogeri
When you make a sincere effort to discover your unique way of serving life, the answer
will come. But once you have verified the answer, you need to go for it! Sometimes
when people have something important to accomplish in life, they wait around as if
they are expecting someone to give them a certificate of authorization, to give them
permission to start their own business, to start singing, speaking, ministering,
writing, or teaching. They wait around like they have all the time in the world.
If you sit around and wait, life folds Its arms and waits with you. But once you
summon the courage to take the first step, you'd be astonished how everything gradually
starts coming together.
A few years ago, I traveled from San Diego to San Francisco to facilitate a spiritual
workshop. On my way back to San Diego, I met a gentleman, Paul, on the plane following
a stopover in San Jose. He was traveling to San Diego with his wife and daughter
for a short vacation.
Paul worked as a nurse in the cardiology department of a major hospital in San Jose.
As soon as the plane took off, Paul began sharing with me his experiences at the
hospital. He emphasized that people should not take life for granted; lamenting on
situations where young executives were admitted into the hospital for what appeared
like a simple neck pain, but it turned out they had an aneurysm. Some of these patients
later died of heart trouble. He suggested that people should not wait for conditions
to be right before embarking on their heart's desire.
Immediately after serving in the Vietnam War in the 1960s, Paul, now in his 50s,
had enrolled in college. For years he dreamed of traveling the world, but conditions
were never right and there were always concerns over money. Then an event occurred
that forced him to expedite the realization of his dream. His class took a field
trip to visit a number of cancer clinics in Mexico. While there, they had an opportunity
to interview dying cancer patients.
The question posed to the patients was, "Now that you have lived your life up
to this point and are dying of cancer, what advice do you have for those who are
still healthy and living life?"
In different words the patients' responses were the same. They said, "Find whatever
your passion is and go for it now, and don't worry about money. If there is anything
you have always wanted to do, if there is anything that is really important to you
that you have been putting off, go and do it. Don't waste any more time. Don't wait
until conditions are just right because then you may not have your health."
Moved by the encounter, Paul returned from the fieldtrip and liquidated half of his
savings account -- money he had saved while serving in the military -- and set out
to travel the world. He was on a tight budget. Sometimes, he stayed with families
he met along the way. Other times, he stayed in international youth hostels. He saved
money by buying bus and train passes. But he said he had the best time of his life.
People were very nice to him everywhere he went, as if they had been expecting him.
Upon return to the States, he made slides from the hundreds of photographs he had
taken.
Paul had a close affinity with his chemistry professor. When he returned to school
the following semester, he invited his professor for a slide show of his trip around
the world. The professor was impressed. He asked Paul, "Where the hell did you
get an idea like this?" Of course, Paul shared his eye-opening fieldtrip to
the cancer clinics in Mexico. The two maintained their friendship until Paul's graduation.
Five years later, Paul ran into his college professor. This time, his professor had
resigned his position at the university, sold his house, had taken a trip around
the world, and had met and fallen in love with a princess from a South American country.
He was the happiest man you can ever imagine. After that meeting, they lost contact
again.
Twenty years later, while Paul was working in the hospital, he heard his name as
it was faintly being called three times. Someone was struggling to call his name.
He heard a long, drawn out "P-a-u-l"..."P-a-u-l"..."P-a-u-l."
He turned around and started walking toward the direction of the voice. It was at
this time that he saw an old, gray-haired man in a wheelchair with tubes protruding
from his abdomen. He had a difficult time recognizing the man.
The man struggled as he said, "Paul, I just want to thank you for inspiring
me to travel the world. If it weren't for you, I would never have seen the world."
By the side of this frail, gray-haired man was a beautiful lady 20 years his junior.
She was his professor's South American princess bride.
This human adventure called life is so precious and goes so fast. Think about the
last 10 years of your life. How fast did they go? You really can't afford to procrastinate
any longer. Now is the time to take a step toward the manifestation of your dream!
Dr. Zeal Okogeri is a spiritual scholar, teacher, columnist, frequent radio guest
and author of the best-selling book, God's Relentless Generosities -- An Inspiring
Journey of Soul, available at www.Amazon.com, www.Powells.com or by calling 1 (800) 431-1579.
He is the founder of Transformative Coaching for Infinite Possibilities® and
provides spiritual coaching. He can be reached at (952) 393-7246 or Oyemaa@Yahoo.com
Copyright © 2005 Dr. Zeal Okogeri. All rights reserved. |
| May 2005 |
|
|
