Magic When You Least Expect It

By Terez Hartmann

The more you give yourself permission to honor your spirit and choose fun and joy, the more fun and joy you can and WILL find.

How many times have you found yourself passionately searching for something that matters to you, determined to do “whatever it takes” to make it a reality, only to find that the harder you try, the more elusive it becomes? Even with everything I’ve come to understand about “Allowing” (LETTING good happen while ENJOYING the journey), there are still times I’ve found myself pushing or struggling to “make” something happen, as it is SO deeply ingrained in human consciousness. While there most certainly ARE times when gumption and determination are a great way to begin a journey, I often find that when I finally relax into the experience and let joy become the strongest call and reason to move forward, this is when answers and solutions flow, and when the REAL magic happens.

Below is a true story about a fabulous adventure and “foxy friend” that continues to serve me as a great reminder of how well life works when you chill-the-#$%^-out and enjoy the ride. May it ignite a little spark within you to give yourself permission to celebrate your SELF, to always allow time to nurture your spirit and enjoy your NOW, and to LET magic happen.

Choosing a Journey of Serenity

My husband John and I had just hosted a tribute concert in honor of Mom Hartmann (who transitioned recently) and decided to take some time to recharge and renew via a fabulous RV journey through the mountains. Even though our hearts were still healing, this daily routine of having breakfast with a view of nature, followed by hiking and exploring beautiful spaces and places, followed by relaxing near a fire in the evenings (when the weather permitted), quickly brought us to a place of serenity, clarity and appreciation. This was a lifestyle we could easily get used to!

Each day along our journey brought oodles of bonuses, upgrades and happy surprises. During the times we found ourselves on deserted roads, seemingly nowhere near the site or trail that was promised to us by Google maps or a local brochure, as if on cue, a local would show up virtually out of thin air and come over to us to say, “You look like you need some help. Where ya’ll headed?” Even when we were out on a trail, wanting to see a waterfall that we thought was on an entirely different path, or had nothing more than a vague idea of where a trailhead was, we’d just so happen to look up, down or sideways—at just the right time—to find EXACTLY what we were looking for! Had we looked in a different direction at those exact moments, we would have easily missed our entry points and clues.

From Dead End to Extraordinary Path

One particular day, John and I decided to set off to explore another intriguing waterfall trail that was about an hour’s drive from our campsite. When we arrived at the coordinates and address listed in the “official,” professionally printed, state-sponsored brochure, we found ourselves pulling into…

…an equestrian center.

We searched the area for anything that even remotely resembled a hiking trail, but nothing seemed to fit the bill. Once we resolved to just celebrate the scenic drive we had just enjoyed and move on, a friendly local in a pickup truck pulled up beside us. We told him where we were headed and he then proceeded to tell us an elaborate story about a landowner and his ongoing dispute over property lines and public lands, which was a big part of why the map led us to THIS spot. With that, he told us not worry and that he would gladly lead us to the ACTUAL trailhead. We followed the kind gentleman a couple of miles down the road to what seemed like a random spot. He then instructed us to park beside the road and pointed out a slight opening into the woods. Though it was unmarked, he assured us that this WAS the trail we were looking for—and he ought to know—as HE built one of the main bridges that crosses over the creek! We thanked him for his time, started walking and, sure enough, found ourselves in the midst of a gorgeous canyon with lush foliage where we came to not one waterfall but TWO, along with two additional fascinating, naturally occurring geological features that were labeled, “Noah’s Ark,” and “The Ten Commandments.”

What started out as an apparent “dead end” turned out to be one heck of an extraordinary path that included everything we wanted to experience—and SO much more!

A Magical Mega-Bonus

As we climbed back into our hotel on wheels, feeling deeply satisfied with our magical day, we hit the road to make our way back to our RV campsite. Only a few minutes after we started, something caught my eye that practically brought our rig to a screeching halt…

There, in broad daylight, were two red KIT FOXES playing in a strip of grass right next to the road with momma fox keeping watch just across the field!

To the average person who loves animals, this would have been a lovely thing to witness, but to me, seeing a fox AT ALL, nonetheless in adorable BABY form in the middle of the AFTERNOON – when they are known to be creatures of the night— was akin to seeing a unicorn.

For years, every time John and I would go for a stroll or hike and hear any kind of rustling in the woods, great hope and excitement would well up in me, and I’d blurt out, “Maybe it’s a FOX!” I truly wanted to see one of these colorful cat-dogs in the wild, but, when time and time again, the sounds we heard seemed to be anything other than a fox, this became more of a running gag than anything else. I knew that one day, at some point before I croak, I’d see a fox, but after years of “no fox” encounters, I had, only days before our trip, let go of it happening any time soon—and was okay with that.

Having THIS experience was, once again, proof of how well life can deliver what seems like the most far-fetched, outrageous things the moment you stop “looking” for them!

Note: Photos of a few of these magical sights can be found by visiting: http://www.terezfirewoman.com/blog and choosing the title, “Magic When You Least Expect It.”

The Bottom Line: Magic When You Least Expect It!

The rest of our trip did indeed follow the same flow of enchanting connections and experiences, but I have to say that seeing my foxy friends on this particular day made an especially strong impression on my heart.

Even in the midst of great personal challenges, every time I revisit stories like this of how well life works when I make enjoying my NOW my top priority, I am amazed by how beautifully the seeds of the essence of these accounts take root and bloom in my consciousness to bring clarity, light and joy to my present moment.

Whether you or your clients are in the midst of savoring a spectacular adventure, or, conversely, looking to find even the smallest glimmer of light, or just traversing terrain somewhere in-between, may you know and remember good can always be found wherever you stand.

The more you give yourself permission to honor your spirit and choose fun and joy, the more fun and joy you can and WILL find.

…And that the very things you’ve been looking for can and will appear in the perfect place, at the perfect time, when you no longer need them, but, rather, when you allow yourself to be in a place where you are truly ready and able to ENJOY them.

BTW…Just a few nights ago (about a month after our trip and well over 600 miles away from our fox-sighting spot), my hubby and I were enjoying a late-night stroll and heard the most unusual sounds—something we had NEVER heard in the two years we’d had lived in our neighborhood. Fortunately, John had brought his phone and was able to use a sound recording app to “capture” this strange series of calls. When we compared our recording to multiple animal sounds, there was no doubt that what we had heard were indeed…FOXES!!!

Here’s to choosing and savoring a magical LIFE, so that soul mates, solutions, cash flow, opportunities, great adventures, well-being, fun, frolicking foxes, and beyond are no longer what is required but simply a magical BONUS that can’t help but appear to a heart, mind and soul ALREADY on fire!

For more about the “Coaching the Coach” series, visit: http://www.terezfirewoman.com/blog and choose the title, “About the ‘Coaching the Coach’ Series.”

Terez “Firewoman” Hartmann,“Your catalyst for all things Fab-YOU-lous,” is the author of Allowing Your Success!, a proud contributing author of Transform Your Life! book one and two, a professional Keynote Speaker/Workshop Facilitator, Singer-Songwriter/Recording Artist, “Allowing Adventures!” & “Savor Vacation” Facilitator, and true Renaissance Woman, and Visionary. She keeps her fire lit by embracing and promoting a lifestyle of “Allowing,” and by using creative expression to elevate and ignite the human spirit, a passion that she shares with her husband, soul-mate and creative partner of over 15 years, John Victor Hartmann. Together they share “Allowing TRUE LOVE” workshops and experiences designed to help others attract, allow, and maintain extraordinary relationships, and create custom jingles and voice-overs in their studio, THE Creativity Express. Visit: http://www.TerezFirewoman.com.

This entry was posted in Coaching. Bookmark the permalink.