It Was Always Meant to Happen That Way

I was reading a book with this title recently. I was in bed and exhausted but still reading because I like to read before bed. (Even exhausted? Hello, go to sleep). It’s an easy read with big print and lots of space for my mid-century eyes. When I turned to page 25, the title was “It was always meant to happen that way.”

The premise, which is based on work from Bryon Katie, is that all things from your past were meant to be. And how do you know this? Because it already happened. It was that way and therefore it was supposed to be that way. HUH? 

I was supposed to NOT get into my first choice when I was applying for college? I was supposed to NOT get the exact job I wanted after college? It was supposed to take EIGHT LONG YEARS for my college sweetheart to propose, and THEN we got divorced? It was supposed to take FOUR tries (yes, four) to finally be promoted to full professor at my job. WHAT?? (Insert Emoji of a head blowing up here.) Honestly, after thinking of so many situations from my life within the framework of, “It was always meant to happen that way” I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The universe was not, nor has it ever, conspired against me. There was never anything wrong with me. I am exactly where I am supposed to be and ready to move forward to the next place. Brooke writes at the end of this passage, “Resistance leaves….” But you know me, I’m a Sci-Fi girl all day long.

Resistance is futile. 

And of course, a colossal waste of time, because it all happened exactly how it was supposed to. And, it happened for me, merely for my delight. 

What a relief!