• WHITE PAPERS by BLEU STOCKINGS

  
  A Booklist for Bleu Stockings
  by Branding Salon
  
  What is a Brand?
  by Rachel Cost
  

Seizing Opportunities

Posted on | January 3, 2009 | No Comments

Yesterday a friend extended an impromptu invitation to visit with a prominent Burmese monk she has been hosting at her beautiful villa on the Bali Bukit. “You have to meet him, Rachel. He is really quite amazing.” I realized I must seize the opportunity while available, as he was headed back home the next day, and his schedule seemed to fill up quickly with speaking requests around Bali and other demands on his time and talents. So I grabbed the kids’ swim suits and off we headed to her house.

The monk travels with an entourage: an interpreter, the interpreter’s wife, and one extra guy who always must travel with them, “because he is good luck.” They were all sitting in the living room, in addition to a group of about five family and friends visiting for the holidays. We each took our turn to consult with the monk.

When it was my turn, I went to sit down before him, a bit unsure of what to expect. His interpreter first asked me if I needed the monk to solve a problem, or if I was somehow suffering. I replied that I was not suffering, just waiting. I explained that I had just moved to Bali, and I’d left my very full life behind in the States. So at the moment I was waiting to find out what life in Bali would bring.

The monk asked what day I was born. I said Tuesday. He told me this was good, because Tuesday-born is a very good match for Bali. He asked when I had moved. I told him we moved three months ago at the end of September. He said this was very good timing. He also said that it was good that I moved in the Southeast direction. In all he concluded that I was where I needed to be, when I needed to be there. He told me to be patient, but that when I recognized the next opportunity, to take it immediately. And then after that, to keep taking each opportunity I see, because whatever I did next would be “very big.”

And that was all. He spent longer with others, possibly helping them to sort out troublesome issues. But for me the advice was clear and concise. So now I am keeping my eye out for the next opportunity, ready to seize what comes. A very good start to a brand new year.

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