When you move
Providence moves
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.”
William H. Murray
It’s amazing to me how every time I start to embark on a new business venture that involves some risk, I want all the stuff “raising in one’s favor” to materialize before I fully commit. I think we are all looking for some sort of guarantee that “this” will work. But when you are doing something that has never been done before you have to fully commit before the seas part or Providence moves.
Recently I was near an air force base and I watched as gigantic cargo planes took flight and soared out of sight. It made me think to the Wright brothers and their ground breaking aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible. Neither of the brothers had much of a formal education. Wilbur completed four years of high school but moved before he was able to get his diploma. Orville dropped out of high school after his junior year and started a printing business. Neither one of them ever attended college. So what was it that made these two high school drop outs embark on a mission to change the world?
Otto Lilienthal, the German flying-man, died in a gliding accident. According to Wilbur, Lilienthal’s death “aroused a passive interest which had existed from my childhood.” In this catalytic moment Wilbur could see what the problem was and was willing to go on a journey to solve it. But he wasn’t all in, not yet. It’s interesting how Providence knows even more than we do if we are all in or not and Providence doesn’t start to move till we do.
For four years Wilbur and Orville would think about and discuss possible solutions but it wasn’t until the bottom started falling out of their bicycle business that they actually made a move. Four years after Lilienthal’s death Wilbur wrote to the Smithsonian Institution asking for a list of publications on aeronautics. “I wish to avail myself of all that is already known,” Wilbur wrote, “and then if possible add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success.”
This action opened Wilbur up to a favorable encounter with Octave Chantue, a wealthy business man, successful engineer and aviation pioneer. In a bold move with no prior connection, Wilbur wrote Chantue a letter that said, “For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money if not my life.” After this letter Chantue and the Wright’s began a relationship for years to come where he offered invaluable advice, consistent encouragement and a platform for publicizing their work.
Once Wilbur was all in, Providence moved.
This reminds me of an experience I had rock climbing in my early 20’s. I lived in an area of the country where climbing big mountain faces was a common pastime and great exercise. A friend of mine and I decided to go climbing for a few hours after work. We were using all of the appropriate safety gear, so I wasn’t in any real danger. However, there is nothing that prepares you for the fear that grips you when you are 20 plus feet in the air on the bottom side of an overhang and you can’t see your next hand hold. My climbing partner could see it clearly and told me to rock back on my right arm to gain momentum and just go for the next hold. The problem was, I had to fully commit to going for the next hold. If I held back at all I would not have enough momentum to carry me all the way there. Fully committing also meant letting go of where I was and trusting the advice of someone else that my next hold was where they said it would be.
I was so scared I rocked back and forth, adjusting my position trying to reach for the hold without letting go but I couldn’t reach over the overhang. I tried a few different things trying to gain a different vantage point so I wasn’t going in blind, but nothing was working. I spent so much energy trying to not fully commit that my muscles started shaking and if I didn’t make a move soon I was going to fall right where I was.
So, adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, muscles straining, I gathered every ounce of focus and strength I had left. I rocked back on my right arm and lunged forward with my left reaching for what I prayed would hold me. To my utter shock and amazement the hold was there. I didn’t fall my grip was secure.
Providence moved.
Not everything was perfect though. The time I had wasted before I was willing to fully commit caused me some other problems. But that is a story for another day.
What move in your life are you contemplating? What decision is waiting for you to fully commit? What do you need to let go of so you can reach for what is next?
