A Monthly exploration in spiritual awareness: November 1, 2026
There is a wonderful little expression we use when life isn't going quite the way we planned: "In the meantime." We're waiting for something better to happen. Waiting for more money, better health, a happier relationship, or perhaps for somebody to finally recognize how wonderful we are. Some of us have been waiting so long that we're beginning to suspect our blessings were shipped to the wrong address! We say, "I'll be happy when I have more money." "I'll enjoy life when I find the right person." "I'll relax when all my problems are solved." And some of us are waiting for our relatives to become reasonable human beings. Well, good luck with that one! The truth is, life does not begin when everything falls into place. Life is happening right now, while we're waiting for everything else to happen.
In her insightful book In the Meantime, Iyanla
Vanzant explores the importance of healing ourselves, discovering our own
worth, and learning to experience love rather than endlessly searching for
someone else to supply it. Ernest Holmes taught that our experience of life is
profoundly influenced by our consciousness. We cannot continually rehearse
yesterday's disappointments and expect tomorrow to feel brand-new. Some people
have carried their grievances around for so many years that those grievances
ought to be paying rent! Forgiveness is not pretending something didn't happen.
It is deciding that what happened no longer gets to occupy the best room in our
minds. And remember, forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean inviting the person
back into your life. You can forgive somebody completely and still change
the locks!
One of the greatest mistakes we make is believing that
happiness is a destination rather than a state of mind. We imagine that
somewhere out there is the perfect combination of circumstances that will
finally make us feel complete. Perhaps it's a beautiful house, financial
freedom, a loving companion, or a body that looks like it did when we were
twenty-five. Of course, at twenty-five, we were probably complaining about
something too! Ralph Waldo Emerson encouraged self-reliance, reminding us of
the importance of trusting our own inner wisdom. We must stop treating
ourselves as unfinished projects that will become worthy of love and happiness
at some future date. You are not a defective product waiting for the
manufacturer to issue a recall. You are already an expression of Infinite
Life, endowed with intelligence, creativity, and the capacity for joy.
Happiness cannot depend upon a world that refuses to follow our personal
script.
And then there is that fascinating spiritual lesson called
patience. We love the idea of Divine Order, provided it operates according to
our personal schedule. We affirm, "Everything unfolds in perfect
timing," but secretly we're thinking, "And perfect timing would be
approximately Thursday afternoon!" We want instant love, instant
prosperity, instant healing, and instant enlightenment. If the Universe had a
customer service department, some of us would be calling every twenty minutes
demanding to speak to a supervisor! Yet much of life's greatest growth happens
during those periods when nothing seems to be happening. Joel Goldsmith
emphasized turning inward, entering the silence, and discovering the spiritual
completeness already within us. We can quietly affirm: I AM life expressing.
I AM worthy of love. I AM open to prosperity. I AM grateful for the good that
exists now. And perhaps most importantly, I AM not responsible for
straightening out every confused person on the planet. What a relief that last
one can be!
So, perhaps it is time to stop saying, "Someday I'll be happy." Someday is not printed on any calendar I've ever seen. Stop postponing your peace until the bank account gets bigger, the bathroom scale gets smaller, the children become sensible, or the politicians begin behaving like adults. That last one could keep us waiting for several lifetimes! The meantime is not a punishment; it is life itself. Wear the good clothes. Use the good dishes. Laugh often. Love generously. Forgive wisely. Think constructively. Don't put your happiness on layaway until the Universe delivers your entire wish list. Life is not a dress rehearsal, and nobody has promised us a second opening night. The next time you find yourself wondering when your wonderful life is finally going to begin, look in the mirror, smile, and declare: "My wonderful life is not on its way. My wonderful life is here, and I intend to enjoy every minute of it!"
Keep the faith!
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