“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”  ―

Robert Burns, To a Mouse.

This year’s first Meetup has come and gone. However, I am still processing that experience as I sit here on a Sunday afternoon, recapping the past week and planning for the new one.

Our Monthly Meetup Roundup blog post is where we recap Metaphysical Mississippi’s regular monthly meetup.  This past one was special, not only because it was the first one of the year, but because it touched me in a special, unexpected way.  

The topic for the night was setting goals for the new year and how we plan and organize our lives.  I had been inspired by recent podcasts we had recorded.  In our interviews, we had discussed spiritual, business and everyday life topics surrounding goal setting, completing tasks and our favorite planners and calendars. I wanted to continue the conversation at the meetup.  At the meetup, the attendees shared how they juggle career, family, social and personal lives, while trying to incorporate self-care and be on a spiritual path. We were all over the gamut discussing where prayer, manifestation and intention come in, along with making plans, to do lists and following schedules.  But, as usual, the group discussion took an organic turn and we shared personal experiences and gave encouragement and support for one another.  And this is where it gets personal for me.

See, I am a planner, though at times a haphazard, unorganized one.  I can be a “go with the flow, fly by the seat of my pants” kind of gal when I need to be.   Yet, I do like lists and agendas. And tonight’s topic was about plans and goals.  So, you can see why I was pumped for the meetup topic.  I had it planned out. I even had planned to do a fun vision board activity for our metaphysical community.  

Then, which is not that unusual for me, I started the meeting a little late. The main  reason was because there were only a few people that showed up and I thought maybe others were coming.  Of course the small turn out rattled me a little.  Was this something I should be concerned about?  Had I not promoted the meetup adequately?  Had I dropped the ball in some way?  However,  I shook it off and moved forward.  I looked at the beautiful people who showed up and we got the meeting going.  We let it flow.  We shared.  We held each other up.  But, I had not followed my plan.  

As I drove home after the meetup, I thought of the events of the evening. I did feel a little uncertain about how things went.  Was the meetup a failure?  We did not even get to the planned activity.  There were things I had planned to talk about, but it just did not feel like the right time.  For instance, this month we are taking Metaphysical Mississippi on the road, with our first pop up meetup.  I had planned to discuss ideas and get feedback from the group on this endeavor, and how I will be able to fund this and the other projects we have in the works for Metaphysical Mississippi.  However it just did not want to come up for discussion. I felt we were to talk more about the here and now, not the future.  So I followed the guidance of the group.  We went where we needed to go.  And I trust it was what we all needed that evening.

Part of the theme for the vision board that we did not get around to doing was going to be how we as a community can be there for one another.  We may not have officially talked about it that evening, but it was modeled, we were doing it.    Sometimes the best we can do is just show up and be WITH one another.  And for those who came (and those who could not make it, but were there in spirit) you gave me something very special that night.  And that was fellowship and community.  I thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart. It was a beautiful thing and the personal epiphanies of that night are still unfolding for me.  

At the end of the day, it is just about conscious connection.  We will make mistakes.  We will disappoint others. Yes, it is important to make plans and be organized.  It is important to do our best or be on our best behavior.  But sometimes we have to be willing to let go of what is expected and let life surprise us.