Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. – Albert Einstein
Most people have a phobia, a particular, usually irrational, fear that messes with them from time to time. I used to be mildly claustrophobic when lying in small spaces, but after years of head MRIs that one is, if not healed, not terribly problematic anymore. The Big Kahuna remains my fear of spiders. When I was 12, during a very high fever, I even hallucinated that a spider the size of a grizzly bear was standing over me in my bed ready to devour me. I have held snakes and mice and am completely fine, but put a spider in the same room with me and I can’t take my eyes off of it for fear it will attack…irrational, I realize.
That’s what makes my recently discovered respect and admiration for arachnids all the more ironic…the universe loves a good joke. Our house is surrounded by woods. Summer after summer spiders build intricate webs at our window sills and along the deck railings. These aren’t little spiders. These are nickel-sized masticators. I have had a particular fascination with the one on our downstairs bathroom sill. Each morning I check her progress from the night before. I am often amazed at her seemingly magical work. My fascination opened the door to learning some valuable lessons from this often reviled of God’s creatures.
- Put Yourself in the Position to Win
You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win and expect to win. – Zig Ziglar
You need to set up shop in a location (physical or otherwise) that allows you the greatest access to your desires. My spider friend has herself tucked in the shade, in an area of our house that receives no sun, but gets a lot of insect ‘traffic’. I equate this position to my attitude. I can choose confidence or insecurity. When I position myself with confidence, good things happen. When I am fearful, resentful or any of their unsavory cousins, I don’t usually succeed.
- Diligently Work Toward Your Goal
Diligence is the mother of good luck. – Benjamin Franklin
Each night the spider spins her web. She isn’t seeking approval or praise. She does it because that is what spiders do to stay alive. Any goal worth working towards requires effort and consistency. Each day I write even if it is just a small amount because it keeps me practiced in my favorite art and keeps me advancing toward my goal.
- Start Over When You Fail
You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination. – Ralph Marston
My husband occasionally takes down her web, which makes me sad now… I love her tenacity, though, as the very next morning she will have started the rebuilding process. It is far better to see failure as a detour, redirecting you to a better route toward your goal. In every failure there is immense opportunity. Do not give up.
- Be Patient
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. – John Quincy Adams
Each day the spider waits for the winds to carry her treasures to the masterpiece she has built. Once I have done the necessary pre-work, I must also practice patience and wait for the universe to bring to me what I want. There is a balance, a divine dance, between effort and allowing. I have stepped on toes many times during this dance either by pushing too much or not priming the pump quite enough. Work with yourself to find that balance. You’ll know when you have struck the right balance when you receive what you seek. Commit to memory the steps you took and the feelings you held when success was yours and make it part of your personal system of success.
5. Feel the Vibration
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. – Nikola Tesla
The spider knows that she has caught something by feeling the vibration on her web. She recognizes victory through feeling. The universe is one colossal web. We are electro-magnetic beings vibrating all the time. We each sit at the center of our own webs that most of us simply don’t recognize, constantly attracting experiences to us by the vibrational signals we emit. Learn to feel rather than think your way through your decisions. When something is right, my body feels good. It’s intuition. Similarly, when something feels wrong, even when it is logically ‘right’, I get a slight sickly feeling. I am not an overly intuitive person, all the more reason that I know you can do this. You can learn to trust your feelings and find the vibration that brings you the most success. It takes awareness.
Do the prep work, be patient, and then feel the signals. With practice, you will find that you are your own guru, able to guide yourself to what you desire most with much less frustration than you perhaps believed possible.
xo,
Erin