I saw a ghost the other day.
As I was driving to the gym a vehicle approaching me from the opposite direction caught my attention. My eye pulled toward the bug shield on the vehicle’s hood. This bugshield had little red hearts painted on it, a custom paint job. Before I could think “that’s weird”, our paths crossed and I noticed that the custom painted bugshield was attached to a bright blue Toyota pick up truck.
In a flash, it hit me. Hey, that was my dad’s truck! In fact, that little Toyota was was his pride and joy. In his retirement, he pimped it out with accessories like the bugshield painted with little red hearts surrounding my mother’s name, “Mary.”
When my father died almost six years ago, my family decided to give the truck to his nephew. He was close to my father and he had a need for the vehicle. The last news I had on the truck came a few years earlier. The engine block had cracked, my cousin sold the vehicle, and that marked the end of the little blue truck.
In the moment of seeing this ghost, I thought about screeching my car to a halt, pulling a U-Turn, and flagging down the driver. In the next moment, more rational thought returned and I continued on my way to the gym with a smile.
On my way forward, I basked in a feeling of connection between my dad and me. I remembered being the in passenger seat of the truck as we headed north to spend some time together at the cabin he built in the woods of the Adirondacks. I felt the connection with my mom, amused that the little bugshield still proudly bore her name. (The bugshield was a tongue-in-cheek homage. My mom thought it gaudy which made my dad love it even more.)
I even felt a connection with the stranger driving the truck. Who was this person? Why had they not removed the bugshield? Did they ever wonder who “Mary” was? Our lives were connected, this stranger and me, even if the thread appeared thin.
Reflecting on this event and the power of connection between us all reminded me of a Deepak Chopra lecture that I have on tape*. The following is paraphrased from his powerful lecture.
With each breath you take, you draw in 10²² atoms into your lungs. With each exhale the same number of atoms are released. Those atoms contain tiny pieces of your heart, your lungs, your brain and so on. Dr. Chopra states, “Technically speaking, we are intimately sharing our organs with each other all the time.” Based on radioactive isotope studies, the fact is that at this moment you have over 1 million atoms that were once in the body of Jesus Christ. Or Hitler. Or anyone who every existed. In one year, you replace 98% of all the physical atoms in your body. If you think you are separate from other people, from a scientific perspective, you have a bit of a problem explaining that.
How does this awareness of the interconnectedness of everything and everyone help to live in harmony with the law of attraction? Taken from this perspective, the idea of us all being “one” moves far beyond the theoretical realm but emerges as the greater truth.
If you wish to enter the fast track of your personal evolution, you’ll need to embrace that there is only one diamond and each one of us reflects the same light, just from a different cut of the stone and from a different angle.
When you can live and enjoy the experience of being an individual without ever losing the larger awareness of connection to everything, well, now you’re living in the sweet spot of life. Events still occur, but your judgment of these events as “problems” vanishes. In addition, you recognize that the people around you who irritate, annoy, and anger you the most are really just projecting the way that you really feel about some part of yourself. The surrounding world and everything (and everyone) in it no longer exists as something outside of you – everything becomes a reflection of you.
Finally, be mindful of the little blue trucks filled with connection that cross your path every day. They are easy to miss if you’re not actively seeking them. It’s your responsibility in life to walk with eyes wide enough to notice them before they pass on by.
* This audio series by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer is among the most insight recordings on "the deeper stuff" beyond the superficial "Secret" level regarding attraction that I own.
Drew. What an awesome analogy! We truly are all connected. I was just thinking about this as I was driving in the early morning. The sunshine felt warm on my cheek, and I thought wow-this sunshine will kiss everybody else’s cheek today as well. What a wonderful feeling!
Drew,
It is true, we are all connected. This was a good moment for you. I like the lesson you drew from it.
I have not listend the the recording that you provided. I will add it to my list. I enjoy both Wayne and Deepak.
And another response from the Universe…Thank you Drew for this. I have been thinking of sending you and e-mail as I needed your thoughts on this. My daughters boyfriend just died. She’s 18, he was 19. We buried him Tuesday. It has been a nightmare. The two of them had been close friends for years and finally made it official. He was on his way to Afghanistan in June and they were looking forward to the 3 months together before he had to leave. Their time together was cut short by 2 months.
Time with a loved one is never long enough, but it doesn’t seem fair that they were only given this one month of complete joy. He was an incredible soul. I have to believe that he was called for a higher purpose and that God cleared their path to give them this month together. We’ve had a number of signs telling us that he’s watching out for her and continues to be in our lives. I never would have believed in an interactive angel until my recent hospital stay…and now this.
Your parents were telling you they love you. Andy sends us messages as well. A friend of my daughter has felt the tug of that connecting thread and came flying to her side when she heard the horrible news.
It shouldn’t take a traumatic event to wake us up but it usually does. We are all truly connected. What happens to one is reflected onto another. The refractions in a diamond are infinite. As are those in our soul. So many blessings are in this life if only we are open to receiving them. Thank you for continuing to teach that concept.
you are welcome, Diana.
times like these, I wish I had all the right words.
I very much appreciate you sharing your story here…
warmest,
drew