Timing is everything.
September 29, 2023
Walking into the grocery store in need of a cart, I look over and an elderly man lifts his bag ready to head off. I ask him if we can snag his cart and he says, “Timing is everything.” “It sure is” I remarked with an adorned smile on my face. I turned to my daughter Lexi, still engulfed in the energy of that moment, and reinforced the man’s statement, “Timing is everything, Lexi”. She scoured at me with embarrassment and blurted “Stop being so cringy, mom.” What she doesn’t realize at the young age of 14 is that there’s so much in this life that’s based in time. The right time, wrong time…. maybe it’s just time.
We were at the store because Lexi really wanted to make at-home Hibachi. I didn’t want to make the trek but she convincingly said, “Mom, how often do I want to go with you to the grocery store? You have to take me up on this.” Yes Lexi, I did, because timing is everything. That day she had high school orientation where her eyes opened in a way they’ve never been before. As she’s grasping her new reality - reconciling her early bus, school work, tennis team, and how she will fit in “me time” - I look at what’s ahead knowing how few moments I will have where she’s asking me to go to the grocery store. So, when that man uttered the simple phrase “timing is everything,” it meant much more to me than just that grocery cart.
I was meant to bump into that man so that he could trigger a mindful moment that I may have otherwise passed by. It hit me over the head and all of a sudden there was a rush of energy and realization. Right now, I’m in some sort of energy bubble that is collecting a culmination experiences, interactions, and events that were waiting for THIS time. A year ago, six months ago, even a few weeks ago….the time wasn’t right. The time may not be right now for all things circling around, and that’s ok, because I’ve learned to sometimes just let it happen…. see what happens…. wait for what happens….and then live it when it does happen.
Remembering back to my chiropractor visit over 2 years ago I shared my then ambiguous new business venture with Dr. Sommer. She mentioned that what I was seeking to achieve was similar to that of her best friend. “Who’s your best friend?” I asked. “Alaina Love” she stated. I noted the name, left her office and before I turned on the car looked her up. It’s the work of Alaina Love that set my passion and purpose free…gave it meaning in a way I never before would have understood. Not only did I order her book, read it cover to cover and took her proprietary assessment - I got on a zoom with her, flew to meet her in North Carolina and started what will be a lifelong relationship with this brilliant woman. It was her work that brought clarity to so much of where I have been in my life, and at the same time provided immense focus for where I want to go. I’ve always been someone who has a plan, sets a path and works toward it. Reflecting on this I realize that I’ve really just always had passion and a purpose. Passion for where I want my life to go, purpose for the mark I want to leave on the people in my life, and hopefully many more. This clarity around passion and purpose fell upon me when the moment was just right.
Looking back at my career, my life choices and path to where I am today, the concept of “timing is everything” is like a tattoo across my chest. The home we live in, the business I started, the friendships I’ve created, the path my children have chosen for themselves - all of these have formed when the time was just right. It was that doctor’s visit, that moment, that time in my life that brought about a conversation and connection which has shaped so much of my last 24 months. I also was very open to change, open to letting things unfold while also staying steadfast in my journey. That very mindset is what allowed me to welcome in the man at the grocery store, the experience with Lexi and the reminder that timing is everything.
-Lauren Heinemann