A Time for Everything
By Rob McBride
There is a time for everything and everything has its time...
Recently, while thinking about all things which occur in our lives, I realized many are considered "good" or "bad," "right" or "wrong." As I analyzed the meanings of each, I readily understood there is neither good nor bad; right nor wrong. Instead, there are so many different shades of grey.
Depending on the circumstances "good" can be "bad," and "bad" can be "good." At other times "right" can be "wrong" and "wrong" can be "right.
Frequently we say, "Why do I have to go through this difficult time?" Nevertheless, there is a time for everything and everything has its time. Based on this idea, I began a word play and the following phrases flowed through my fingers...
A time to work, a time to play...
A time to challenge,
A time to celebrate,
A time to trust,
A time to be alone,
A time to move,
A time to laugh,
A time for yin,
A time to be,
A time to talk,
A time to fly,
A time to create,
A time to eat,
A time to invigorate,
A time for me, |
A time to teach, a time to learn...
A time to give,
A time to go,
A time to simplify,
A time to dream,
A time to project,
A time to win,
A time to succeed,
A time to write,
A time to nurture,
A time to be bold,
A time to plant,
A time to flow,
A time to live,
A time to Rock, |
I shared part of this idea on my blog and a friend told me, "Rob, this is just like what it says in The Bible!"
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace...
As I read, I was faced with a truth so old, so tested and so evident. Knowledge is universal. The knowledge which comes from others and from me is simply the knowledge of the universe which flows through us. What, you may ask, is the relevance of all of this and why should it matter?
As I wrote the lines for "Time for Everything," I realized the same train of thought could go on forever. We can take any emotion, thought or event and by phrasing it together with its opposite, we find there is, in fact, a time for everything.
The next time you wonder why you are going through a difficult time; remember this is the time for that particular thought, emotion or event. More importantly, it is happening at precisely the right time. The question we should ask is: "What can I learn from this situation?" rather than "Why do I have to go through this situation?" Be it "good" or "bad," "right" or "wrong," there is a time for everything and everything has its time.
Rob McBride is an author and speaker who motivates, inspires and trains people. His keynotes, seminars and workshops enhance effectiveness and increase corporate productivity with concrete, dynamic tools which enable people to take control of their professional direction and destiny. He writes the Lunar Letter monthly with each full moon.
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