Many of us have heard or used the quote “Man plans and God laughs.” It has been attributed to different people at different times, depending on the context. It’s also a favorite for those of us whose crystal ball has a crack in it.
No matter how noble the idea, and no matter how carefully we orchestrate, organize or strategize, there’s always something that doesn’t quite come together, a detail we overlooked or overworked.
And that’s where we see the Laws of the Universe at work, up close and personal.
The first one, of course, is the law of “Intention and Desire” leading us to the inevitable “Detachment from the Outcome.” Somewhere in between is “Cause and Effect.” That’s where the “Man Plans” part can fall down, getting us quickly to the “God laughs” part…the now-familiar crack in the crystal ball.
Properly perceived, that crack can be a step forward in our evolution. We can fill it with anger, resentment, blame, anxiety and finger-pointing, or we can fill it with softness, patience, forgiveness, understanding and empathy. The choice is ours.
Starting any project or undertaking with a sense of humor and openness to adventure could be a good posture to assume no matter what the objective. Because sooner or later, we all learn that somewhere in the Universe is that First Law of Living Human: “Give it your best shot and hang on for the ride.”
Leave a Reply