Just as we were about to step outside, we heard the loud crack of thunder and looked at the strappy heels we were both wearing. “Oh no,” we said, simultaneously, as the downpour began. My friend Maria and I were in New York on our way to KC Baker’s Live event at the Helen Mills Theater. We were staying at The Gershwin (a super cool hotel that we both fell in love with), which, according to the address, was supposed to be only a couple of blocks away.
But now it was pouring down rain. We went back to the hotel desk, bought an umbrella for $20, and began tip-toeing around puddles. At each intersection, we futilely waved our arms trying to hail a cab, but it became obvious that our chances of getting one in such terrible weather were slim to none. So we kept crossing intersections, hoping to find the theater in the next block.
Getting Lost and Losing Faith
After several blocks, I was beginning to panic. Maria now wasn’t sure if the street numbering changed sequence and if so, on which street. Maybe this theater was really on the other side of town or in the opposite direction. We searched for the street address on the doorways of every shop we passed, but could’t find one. We had no idea where we were in relation to this theater.
Standing on the corner trying to hail a cab, we watched one pull over for a family across the street. Ugh. Just then, a horn blared. We turned to see a cabbie waving us over. He was sitting at a red light just next to us. We hopped between puddles and dove into the backseat, showering him with the gratitude of two lost souls who have finally been rescued. “Where do you want to go?” he asked.
“137 W 26th St,” Maria said.
The cabbie looked at us in the rear-view mirror. “You’re kidding, right?”
Suddenly, we were silent and attentive in the back seat, waiting to see what the punch line was.
“It’s right behind you!!” he said. “You were almost there.”
We scrambled out of the cab, all of us laughing hysterically at the situation. (Thankfully, he was a nice driver with a sense of humor, because he could have driven us around the block and charged us.) 🙂
Finding Our Way
Sure enough, we looked halfway down the block and across the street from where we were standing, and there, within 200 feet, was the sign for the Helen Mills Theater.
We had panicked and lost our sense of direction. We didn’t stop to think clearly because it was pouring down rain. We lost confidence in our ability to find the place on our own without walking all over New York. We gave up too early. We gave up within feet of our destination!
An Analogy for Following Your Dreams
How often do we give up on something because we lose confidence that it will work out? We think it’s too big or we’re completely lost, when really, the answer is around the corner or halfway down the block. But we’ll never know that if we panic and react to the outside circumstances. In our case it was the rain and a deadline that threw us into a tailspin. When pursuing life goals and dreams, it could be feeling like nothing’s happening, or getting negative feedback that sends us into a tailspin.
What I learned during the 30 seconds that we were in the back seat of that cab was how important it is to stop, breathe in the moment, and let inner guidance show me the way. Because sometimes standing still is the action that will move you forward the fastest.
