A few (ahem) years ago whilst at University, a good friend of mine introduced me to what would become the love of my life and faithful companion for many years ~ the Filofax. Yes, as Range Rover-ry as it may sound, my love for the little guy never waned, and I literally lived by, ‘have filo’ will travel’.
A couple of years ago I dashed my little friend-ling (in the name of de-cluttering whilst in the midst of a minimalist frenzy) into a charity bag. I said a solemn farewell to the little chap first of course. I vowed that the good ol’ iPhone was all I needed to get by.
Then whilst half asleep (and committing the ultimate sin of using the lap top in bed, I know serves me right I guess.) I unwittingly upgraded my iPhone to ios whatsit and, well disaster would be an understatement. I instantly hated took a very strong dislike to the new calendar format and in a nutshell after a few months of suffering (yes, suffering) i.e acting like my 86-year-old grandmother would if presented with an iPhone and asked to tap in an appointment ~ I pined with longing for my old faithful, never-changing, Filo’. What the flip was I thinking when I thought a ‘phone’ could replace good old-fashioned ink & paper? No, no, no this madness had to be halted once and for all!
During the Christmas break I found my new Filo’ fetish in the sale at a bargain price on John Lewis.com. However, it was sold out. In fact they all were except for an explosive, floral, psychedelic coloured one that although I love colour more than the next person, I could not imagine looking at every day for the next 60 years. (I aint chancing it this time thank you. A Filofax is for life).
I hesitated to make a purchase and was determined to visit the store in case I got ‘lucky’, I had a good feeling. Yet alas my son and I weren’t well enough to justify going out in the stormy weather. I planned to visit the store on Saturday, but when Saturday came I found that the sale had been taken off-line. Not to be perturbed by this, or the stormy weather, or the 25p per minute enquiry line for John Lewis, or the fact that I felt so tired that all the bones in my body wanted to fall out of my skin into a neat pile on the floor (you know what I mean?). I called the J.L ‘help line’ who after exactly £2.50 of phone usage informed me that there was a stock of one filofax in the sale showing at my local store. It just happened to be the one that I wanted, the one that had been ‘sold out’ online for over a week, but the operator informed me that ‘there’s no point in visiting the store, the stock checker is inaccurate and the likely hood of it being there on such a busy Saturday was next to zilch.’ I agreed with her to get her off the phone as quickly (and cheaply) as possible and jumped on a bus to try my luck, I had a good feeling, I said that right?
The journey was slow, the store was packed. The stationary department’s clerk practically gawked at the idea that there was a Filofax left in the sale. In fact she was so dismissive she literally wouldn’t tell me where it would be if it was, and after some persuasion she waved a limp wrist to indicate the direction (yet not the location) of where it might have once lain. I scanned the piles of sales crap, and it really was, don’t go there. It’s not worth it. I circled the crap and turned it over and under again and again.
15 minutes later I was staring at the same pile whilst jostling for elbow room with moneyed sales vulcher’s, when clear as peacock there it was, my little guy!!! I snatched him up and bought the little fella home to stay. Forever. Oh and he was also £5 cheaper than advertised.
Now this is the thing. I mentioned the Ardaas Bhaee meditation that I am doing as my current daily practice in my New Years Post. This mantra/prayer is said to adjust your life to bring you exactly what it is that you need, without you having to do anything and without even having to figure out what exactly that is. I was so confident that this little Filofax would find it’s way to me that I went past the doubt of the operator and the sales clerk, and my own starting to emerge doubt refusing to give up and what’s more I was humming and singing the mantra all the way to the store and whilst circling the sales crap, because I find the mantra comforting and catchy.
Ok I know maybe you still don’t believe, because it didn’t happen to you and well maybe I just got lucky right? Maybe.
How about this. I really need a haircut. I usually cut my hair every 6-8 weeks, my last cut was 6 months ago!! I couldn’t get an appointment over the holiday period and my usual hairdresser can’t see me until February. It’s on my mental bulletin board big time. 
Today I just finished yoga and lunch with a good friend and had exactly an hour free before the school run. I started walking to the bus stop when after a few paces I was stopped by a young man who offered me a free haircut in the Aveda salon there and then. “How long will it take?” “An hour” he replied. I enjoyed a nice cup of herbal tea and a head and neck aroma massage before my free cut.
Not to mention that on Thursday night I had a sudden urge whilst meditating, to go out on Friday night (a rare event these days). After my meditation I found a message from a friend inviting me out on Friday night. On Friday I ended up being out all day and didn’t have time to go home and change etc. I received complimentary make-up and hair styling in Selfridges and the funny thing was, the hair demonstrator told me she would only do all my hair if I bought the £100 curling tongs. However, due to a nosey onlooker she ended up demo-ing the whole of my barnet. Touch 😉
Look, maybe I’m too busy looking at the silver lining (yes the hairdresser took 8 inches off my hair rather than the agreed 4-ouch) to see the cloud, and yes maybe I just got lucky or you could call these small things. But they are things that I genuinely needed at the time and apparently it wasn’t just me that thought so!
Bottom line. Meditation is powerful, I have always seen and felt results, not to mention the increased sense of awareness, calmness, depth of breath and inner peace. I learnt 3 things. One ~ never give up even when others try to put you off, two ~ often the thing that you are looking for is right under your nose and only appears just after the point at which you really want to give up and lastly, never, never swap your Filofax for a digital organiser ~ ever.
If you want to join me in the Ardaas Bhaee meditation then check out my previous post.
Sat Nam!
