Where You Are Meant To Be

E153: How a prayer from the past brings me peace in the present

I find myself, again, reaching for this much-loved scrap of paper on my desk.

I’ve recently returned from months of travel and so much change in my personal life. And I am questioning EVERYTHING. Who am I now? As a sibling, a parent, a professional? Am I good enough? Am I … enough? And once again – as if my mother knew I might need it – I reach for this thread to anchor myself. A reminder that I may not have the answer to what is next for me. But meantime trusting that I am “exactly where I am meant to be”.

Early members of Tribe Tilt may recall the story dating back to my first post of 2023:
In a white-noise flurry of 21st-century “Effective Goal-Setting for 2023” posts and articles, my invitation to stillness stood out. This call from the 1890s to take the longer view, listen deeply and to lean into trust resonated strongly with so many of our Tribe members, making it one of my top three popular posts of all time. 

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For the newer members of Tribe Tilt, here is the OG story:

There is a much-loved scrap of paper above my desk. It’s a relic from the early 1990s, in the days before Internet, Google and personal emails. In an era when transatlantic phone calls were expensive aand only for emergencies, I would share my joys, trials and tribulations from my time in NYC through letters sent home. And my mother would actually type or handwrite responses and snail-mail them back to me. I have no recollection of the angst I was struggling with at that moment. But she obviously thought it important to wing this prayer back to me across the Atlantic Ocean.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be

I found that sentence grounding. 

This invitation to Trust is so impactful that the paper is one of a few things that constantly moves with me. 

• From my desk in Brooklyn Heights with a view of the iconic arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

• To my desk high above Times Square. 

• And back to a different desk in Brooklyn with the Twin Towers framed through my window. 

• And now it sits in my home office, across another border, in my daily line of sight.

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For all those who might need to hear this today. And for myself:

May today there be peace within
May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be
May you never forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you
May you be content knowing you are a child of God

Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, and bask in the sun.
It is there for each and every one of you.

This prayer was written in the 1800s by St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897). I was surprised to learn she died of tuberculosis at the tender age of 24 - proof that age is not a prerequisite for timeless wisdom that resonates across all age groups. The best idea can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Do you find yourself at a similar crossroads, contemplating what is next? Did this poem/prayer speak to something within you today? I hope you will share with the rest of us.

If you think someone you know might need to hear these words please share this message forward. It has helped people for 125 years. That makes it a viral message with a long tail.  

And thank you, Mum, for continuing to guide, care and watch over me from afar. 

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I hope you liked this short read today. Thank you.

We are a group that believes we can make a difference to the people and places that are precious to us - that we have fun, hope and agency in our lives.

Karena