Universe Show Me a Model T?

During the last few weeks of 2015, I was dealing with some family, health, and financial challenges that at times felt difficult to overcome. In fact, if you had been a fly on the wall in my home, you would have seen me on some nights curled up in bed in the fetal position, sobbing.

I prayed and meditated and went inward as much as possible desperate to find some vestige of inner strength and faith that I was certain was still in me. Some days, I just plain shouted at the universe, God, the angels. When none of this seemed to get me back to calm, I decided to seek out some external motivation, something to push me to keep going. Well, I found it in a YouTube video posted by a motivational speaker I never heard of before who suggested that if you simply ask the universe to show you something beautiful, it will. First, as a reminder that you are not alone as the universe always hears and supports you. Second, as a way to reset your focus on the beauty that is around you.

Every morning, beginning just a few days before Christmas, I've asked the universe to show me something beautiful and unexpected. Every day, it's delivered: A treetop angel with multi-colored wings, a lovely picture of an angel a friend painted for her mother, yellow tulips in winter, a rainbow outside the window of the bus I was riding. There were so many things, I wish I'd written them down.

My New Year's Day Model T Sighting

So, on the first day of 2016, I decided to up the ante and ask to see something extraordinary and unexpected—something that I would know without a doubt the universe sent for me—because, quite frankly, I still really needed the boost. I never would have guessed an ordinary trip to the 7-Eleven for coffee would be the place where I'd find my extraordinary surprise. Yet, there it sat in the little parking lot right in front of me and several equally startled onlookers—A Model T Ford. How wonderfully awesome!

And why do I think the universe delivered this "just for me?" First, it was my second trip to the 7-Eleven that day when I had only intended to go once. Second, seeing a functioning Model T in my neighborhood is not an every day occurrence (seeing a broken down one is not even an every day occurrence). In fact, I can't recall the last time I spotted an authentic Model T being driven along the streets. Third, I used to collect miniatures of old cars—among them a Model T, of course—that I hoped to give to my son one day. I gave part of the collection to my dad; the other to my grand nephew. Finally, one of the first things I see every morning when I awake is a quote by Henry Ford, the Model T's creator, posted on my closet door: "I want it; I'll have it." (Maybe this should be my mantra for 2016.)

While I don't agree with his politics or personal prejudices, I do appreciate Ford's "never give up" spirit after having read a number of biographies about him. Despite the failure of his first two companies, Ford remained determined to follow his passion to create an automobile that would transform the then very new industry, and he did exactly that. More than a century later, the company he founded is still thriving and he is considered one of America's foremost industrialists.

In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill tells the story of how the Ford Motor Company created the V8 engine. When Ford presented his idea for the new engine to his engineers, they informed him it would be impossible to build. After he told them to "produce it anyway," they worked on making the engine for a year and were still not able to produce what Ford wanted. When informed of their failed efforts, his response was, "Go right ahead. I want it; I'll have it." So the engineers continued with their work and, as if by magic, the V8 engine was born.

“Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again; this time more intelligently,” Ford is quoted as having once said.

Begin again, more intelligently. Sounds like the perfect plan for moving forward into 2016—more determined and more focused to follow my own bliss and live the life of my dreams even if it requires me to shed a few more tears. After all, if Henry Ford had given up, I might never have experienced the joy of riding around in my SUV singing "I'm in love with car, oh yeah."

Here are a few more of my favorite quotes from Henry Ford:

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty." (This deserves its own blog post!)

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right. Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right."

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Remember, whatever it is you are seeking is seeking you. Keep moving forward and you're sure to meet somewhere in the middle.