The universe is full of magic, conspiring to nudge us forward, patiently waiting for our wings to grow. We need to remain calm in this inner knowing that miracles are in store for us. But to access this magic, and benefit from these miracles, we need to prepare and be ready to respond.
Readiness to respond is the key.
To illustrate this point:
Shifting from the mystical to the scientific, a 20-year study by Princeton researchers on competition and collaboration in the natural world concluded with surprising
and counterintuitive information about competition.
The simple, but important question they explored on an island in the Panama Canal:
"When a tree falls in the forest and a gap forms in the canopy allowing sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor, which plants capture that resource of energy?"
Here's what they discovered: instead of the “fittest” plants, i.e., the most competitive plants, getting the sunlight space, it was something else that clearly controlled the winner. "The plant that won the space was the plant that was ready, at that moment, to access the opportunity."
What the researchers determined was the “survival of the fittest” as it's generally understood, is a myth and most of what Mother Nature does doesn’t fit that mold at all!
Readiness to respond was by far the most powerful factor in determining the winner, the plant that captured the light.
“Like a team that fails to appear at a sporting event, a species that is locally absent has forfeited any chance of competitive victory at the site. This can allow inferior competitors to win by default,” says Dr. David Tilman, a pre-eminent ecologist from the University of Minnesota.
Shifting back from the scientific to the mystical: If we're to access what the universe wants to give us in the form of miracles, our readiness to respond is what matters most. This readiness, as I see it, is holding yourself to a higher standard; demanding more from yourself than anyone else could possibly expect. Waiting for miracles isn't enough. We have to prepare.
If you have trouble holding yourself to a higher standard, then find someone, or a group, or an organization, that can help, that challenges you to level-up. Find an accountability partner; a coach; a mentor. Get inspired to respond to the miracles you attract.
Be ready for the tree to fall in your forest.