Searching For Something? Stop Seeking And You Will Find It

During the week before Christmas, I was frantic. Trying to wrap up things at work, packing to go back home to the East Coast, finishing last minute gift arrangements -- and desperately trying to get my Christmas cards addressed.

I'm normally pretty good about keeping my address book updated during the year. I even have a special address list for Christmas cards built into my contact file. But I was running around like a mad woman looking for one address in particular, one that was printed on the return envelope of a thank you card I'd received from a friend. I remembered putting the card in a pile of paperwork I was sorting through on a business trip in early December. The pile of paperwork was gone, but the address wasn't updated in my contact file. Had I thrown it away by mistake? Left it at the hotel? Stuck it in the corner of another purse I was using?

I hunted and hunted and just couldn't find the darn thing. At 3 AM before my flight left for Philadelphia, I finally gave up looking and planned to contact my friend and ask for the address again.

I have a pile of books I've been meaning to read for quite a while, and on my longer plane rides the past couple of months I've packing a book to pass the time. When I boarded the flight to Philly I slept for the first couple of hours, then woke up with two more hours in a plane seat, unable to sleep. So I pulled out the latest book on my list -- the one I had taken all the way to Cleveland for a business trip and never opened.

As I flipped open the cover, a smile of recognition came over my face. Inside was the envelope I'd been desperately searching for -- right where I put it AFTER I finished the other pile of paperwork so I wouldn't lose it.

 

Sometimes we get so busy in our lives we forget the things we need are right under our noses. The next time you're frantically trying to find something, stop looking and relax. It will find you right when you need it.