By Scott Allen
There is a line from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones song The Impression That I Get that goes: “I’ve just never been tested. I’d like to think that if I was, I would pass.” If you know the tune, it is pretty clear that they are singing about being tested by “tragedy” with “a pain so powerful, so heavy you collapse.” Unfortunately, we are all well aware that there is too much “testing” from tragedy in the world today.
For the majority of people in the United States, the “tests” faced, thankfully, are most often more personal and less physically traumatic than those confronted in other parts of the world. However, whenever we go through them they are challenging nonetheless. Things like a break-up of a meaningful relationship or the loss of a job. These types of tests tend to be more of the “faith” or “spirit” variety, and often can be life changing.
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”—Norman Vincent Peale
New Thought practitioners would agree that this is a profound quote. Its implication is that all manifestation begins with thought and, thus, the thoughts and images in our minds create our lives. Another New Thought mantra is, “If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think another negative thought.” Easier said than done! Even the most ardent New Thought aficionado will have doubts at some point, and when our faith is tested we need to hang on and hold on for the ride. The following story about my soul mate is a perfect example. Let’s call her Faith for our purpose herein.
Like many of us, Faith went through a tough time during the recent “Great Recession.” She was laid off from her well-paying job and for a brief period had to live with a friend while she was looking for work. She finally found a job in the middle of the worst period of the recession. The pay was low, there were no benefits, and the hours were long. But she thanked God and the Universe for providing her this opportunity. She worked hard, and did well enough to pay off debt and even buy a small “fixer-upper” house. But the job drained her spirit and was not her “calling” in life. Like all of us, Faith did not just want a “job,” even if it did pay the bills.
New Thought tells us that the possibilities are limitless, that the only limitations are those we visualize for ourselves.
Faith understood this, and she had big aspirations of an interior decorating career despite the setbacks. So with this “thought in mind,” luck would have it that Faith got the opportunity to leave her current “job” to partner in the creation of a home staging company, which helps sellers decorate their homes for the best eye appeal when listing.
Faith decided that this was a sign form the Universe so she started to save money for the start-up costs, took a course to become a Certified Home Stager and worked the business on weekends until it seemed like the time was right to take a “leap of faith.”
It started out wonderfully! She met a great graphic designer and web builder who helped with the brochure, logo and website. In the first few weeks, she sold her first home staging job! The clients loved her and her work. Faith was networking throughout the area and the real estate market was picking up. Everything seemed in balance…..….and then…..nothing….as in no work…..for days…..then weeks…..
At first, Faith knew that if she kept doing what she was doing the work would come. She was thinking, “I have been listening to my Angels, God and the Universe.” She was doing “all the right things.” Surely the work would come….….a month went by…..Everyone she met “loved her.” Several realtors said they would use her when they needed staging. She had friends refer her, and she had a few pitch meetings with perspective clients, but no one signed up. ….a couple months went by….No work. Faith was getting nervous. She was running low on money, real low in fact.
Faith was being tested….She started looking at other “options” for her business, things that were not her area of expertise but might bring in some revenue: outdoor landscaping, packing and moving, even elderly relocation services. Then she found herself questioning her faith in Spirit, God, the Universe. Faith was “fighting” to find work. She couldn’t understand why it did not come. …..several more months went by…..Still no work!
Faith was at the end financially. The only reason she was not already past the end was that she had an unexpected income tax refund come in for the previous year. She was looking in the “Help Wanted” section of the paper and surfing online job sites. She was not finding anything. Faith had bills and a mortgage to pay. She had not planned for zero income for this many months. Faith was being tested…..
She saw a job opening at an upscale furniture store. Faith bristled at the idea of working retail and giving up her lifestyle flexibility, but she saw that this company had a niche selling “Vacation Home Packages.” It sounded intriguing, similar to home staging in many ways. She filled out the on-line application. She went to the store the next day without an appointment, just to check it out. It ends up that they had just hired someone the day before, but the manager was in and would give her a minute.
She was hired on the spot, but the job was for “floor sales.” Vacation Home Packages were only offered in the Orlando store. She took the job but felt like a failure. She started a business with “all the right signs” and high hopes, and now she would have to give it up to work weekends and holidays.Faith was being tested….She was sent for two weeks of out-of-town training. There was a test and she had to pass it to keep the job. She just knew she bombed the part of the test on the company’s computer entry system. She had doubts. How could all her hopes and dreams to follow her passion have been so wrong?Faith was being tested….
All she could do was show up at the store the next day and face whatever The Universe had “in store” (pun intended).
Faith walked into the building at the appointed time and to her surprise, it looked like a party! It was the weekend of a big sale. The Store Manager greeted her with a big smile and her first words were “You aced the test.” Faith had the top score in the class! Based on Faith’s unique qualifications and obvious skills from her test results, senior management had decided to start the Vacation Home Package business segment in the Tampa Bay area. She would be teamed with a professional designer and they would be responsible for developing this business segment. They would be able to co-create the business model. They would have flexible schedules, and mainly work outside the store to network with vacation real estate and time share developers! Faith had persevered and passed the test!
“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.”—Richard Bach
Faith’s “gift” was the perfect job that matched up well with her passion. Another meaning for this quote is to view your problems as your teachers, and in Faith’s case the teachers actually did give tests. So what can we learn from this:
“Be Patient and have faith—and you will pass the test!”
Scott Allen has a degree from Florida State College (FSC), with training in social sciences. Scott is an avid reader and practitioner of New Thought, and has had articles published in various magazines. He is the proud father of three sons, and is blessed with a beautiful partner in Donna (Faith) on his spiritual journey. Contact Scott via email at washedupdesigns@gmail.com