"Gregory," the text starts.

I'm about to reply with a courtesy "wrong number" when the next text comes in: "Gregory, don't forget to claim your big reward!" 

Spam texting. Well, that's new.

Over just a few days, Gregory has won a new iPad, a cruise, a one-night stay (just one night?!) at a Sheraton hotel, and a mysterious "big reward."

I'm not prone to FOMO and rarely covet others' material possessions. Still, by the time the third text appears, I feel like, "Man, some guys have all the luck. Who is this Gregory, and does he even know how lucky he is?"

Perhaps someone is receiving similar texts with my name attached to them and having the same reaction. We all constantly receive messages that someone else, somewhere else, in some way has it better than we do. 

Yet, there is no Gregory. It's just us and the story we choose to tell ourselves.

The universe finds strange and amusing ways to remind us of the truths we need to hear over and over again. We can choose to decode the message hidden behind the message or delude ourselves into believing that those fingers pointing at the moon are actually the moon itself. 

If we're as lucky as Gregory, we'll eventually realize that the light has always been there. We just had to shift our gaze to see it.

P.S.ssst…

Recently, I was a guest on my uncle Bob Adcroft's inspirational podcast, Be Real Now.

Our conversation covered a few of my favorite topics: the beauty of a winding life path, not needing to have everything figured out, and how sharing your gifts can transform your life. (Spoiler: It's never too late!)

Give it a listen and follow his show for more interesting conversations with people who have something to say.

Credits

Hawaiian Tropic by Golden Retriever. Listen on Spotify or YouTube.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rachaelmaier.substack.com