Listen to Your Instinct

Posted on by Joyful2bee

Sometimes I end up staying at home a lot and feel kind of useless and bored. Imagine my surprise when I was shown that that was not the case!

One day, I was trying to decide where to eat for lunch but couldn’t make up my mind. So, I headed to a nearby part of my city to a favorite restaurant I hadn’t been to in a while.

When I arrived, the parking lot was full! So I decided to head toward another favorite restaurant a few miles further down the highway. Suddenly, I saw another restaurant that I liked. For some reason, I had a feeling that was where I should go. I get these instinctive hunches sometimes about where I should go.

The restaurant was almost empty, since I came in well past the busy lunch hour. Soon I was seated, and quickly a pleasant young lady served me. Something told me that she wouldn’t mind engaging in conversation since there were hardly any other customers there.

I asked her about herself. She told me that she worked two part-time jobs. She was also going to a local community college to earn her basic courses. But she was uncertain about her choice of careers. I asked her what topics she was interested in.

She liked forensic psychology but wasn’t sure that was her calling. I encouraged her to find a career that included an interest that she loved so she might enjoy her work more.

I knew from my sons’ experiences the stresses of college education. Serious college students are under a lot of pressure from themselves, their instructors, and their parents to excel in their schoolwork; and make as many “A’s” as possible. These students can easily become overwhelmed in college level classes. I could tell that she was tired and her future was in limbo waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do.

I invited her to sit with me if she had time; not surprisingly she did. We talked and I gave her some advice about taking care of herself while studying hard. I encouraged her to make time each day to love and value herself and take care of herself. That she was important and had a place in the world like everyone else. I gave her encouragement with words that a young woman should hear: encouragement, reassurance, and a reminder, that she could do well, if her choice of career was one she truly loved.

She thanked me repeatedly for my advice. Her smile and eyes showed that she really valued the motherly, or in my case grandmotherly, advice. I knew then why I couldn’t decide where to eat until the “right ” restaurant was in view. I was there for her. I was guided to the right restaurant at the right time so I could help and encourage the young woman.

I needed this as much as she did. Even if I could only handle a couple of hours away from the house, I could still help others.

Everywhere we go there are people who need a kind smile, encouraging words, or some small humorous incident that makes them smile or laugh.

16 thoughts on “Listen to Your Instinct”

  3. I suspect you now know why the 1st restaurant’s parking lot was full to you. You were meant to be there for this young lady. There’s nothing better than “grandmotherly” advice to the right ears. Hope your meal was as super fantastic to you, as your food for thought was to her. Happy New Year! 🙂

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    1. This kind of thing happens pretty often. I am just thrilled when it does! It also happens when I need to be somewhere to meet someone I was not expecting to see too. Hugs and thanks for reading and commenting too!! Hugs!! And Happy New Year to you too.

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  6. what a beautiful story, and it seems you were both meant to meet at the moment, a win win .I always trust my instincts as well and find there is always a reason for things, even though I may not realize it right away

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    1. Thank you, Freddie. We all need help sometime. She helped me too just by knowing I had helped her. Helping others is what I love to do. I was a nurse for 37 years. I am also the mother of two grown sons.

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  8. Thank you, Freddie. I love to make people smile or help them in a task, if they need it. I have always been a “helper” and people lover. I was a nurse for 37 years, so it comes with the territory. LOL

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