In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
At the time of this writing, I had just published a video on social media as part of the 40 Words Series. For those who don’t follow me, this series is where I deliver both an individual word, as well as a word of encouragement every day for 40 days. This timeline corresponds with the amount of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, the season of Lent. Typically for Lent, you fast or remove something out of your diet or schedule for 40 days. However, I have started this tradition of giving intentionally for 40 days as well.
Today’s word was “late”. We have come to understand that late is something that, in most instances, is undesirable. In this fast paced, consumer, capitalist, instant gratification, western society that the majority of us ascribe to, we have schedules packed with tasks, appointments, and obligations. We also have internal clocks that lock us into blocks of time for which we believe certain things must happen. This may be something within the day or week, or something on the large scale of our lives. If it doesn’t happen when it’s “supposed to”, then it’s late.
Many people develop depression and/or anxiety because society has impressed upon us the need to have reached certain milestones by a certain age. This is instilled in us from the moment we are born, checking vitals and abilities at certain chronological markers. It is only reinforced as we move into the assembly line, industrial aged education system. In order to quantify progress and success, we assign benchmarks to our lives and development. We often hear that someone is a “late bloomer” because a particular stage of progress occurred outside of the predefined timeframe. In the context of maturation, it is often said that something is “better late, than never”. This would imply that whatever it is should have happened by a predetermined point.
As I said in my video, you can be late for appointments, for work, for picking kids up from school, etc. because there is an established (and mutually agreed upon) point by which something should happen. This “happen” is your arrival. You cannot be late for life. Regardless of your faith foundation or belief system, you are right where you are supposed to be in this very moment. You are reading this because it is the correct time, which is on time. If you have yet to achieve, attain, acquire, or arrive at a particular place in your life, it is simply because it is not time for those things to happen.
This can be a difficult and often contentious point to acknowledge. As human beings, we operate under the assumption that we have absolute control over every aspect of our lives. Though we do have control over some areas, namely ourselves, we do not possess the omnipotence to manipulate time and space, or to some degree, events and revelations. Once we come to the understanding and acceptance of this dynamic, we can then realize that we are not late for anything in this life. When it arrives, or when we step into the space, is precisely when we are intended to, by the Universe’s grand design. It may be uncomfortable, it may be unpleasant, it may be frustrating (due to our self-induced timeline), but it is punctual.
I have talked about the fact that you can delay what’s coming for you. However, from a macro view, you would not realize that it is delayed unless you have assigned a timeline to whatever it is. Step back with me into the universe or spiritual perspective and you can uncover that our choices will impact the speed at which transition occurs, but those choices have been considered by the creator. In some instances, those delays continue to help set the stage, table, or space in preparation for our arrival. This means that, as we have stated, delay is indeed not denial; and, that you will be right on time whenever that time is.
None of us wants to remain in our internal, proverbial limbo. We must ask ourselves what we need to be doing to become prepared for what is to come. If we believe that we are not late, then we must also believe that we must stay ready, so we don’t have to get ready. Though life is a journey, not a destination, it behooves us to use all the time afforded to become the best version of ourselves; the version we continue to encourage here in The Lounge.
This journey is evolutionary, iterative, and continuous. While we are here experiencing it and learning how to navigate it, know that we aren’t late. We are being prepared for the next place, so keep going because the best is yet to come.
Langley “Casual-Word” Shazor is a poet, author, publisher, entrepreneur, public speaking coach, podcast host, and pastor who is an advocate for youth and men. His goal is to enlighten, empower, and liberate those who are silenced, marginalized, and enslaved to self-destructive thoughts and behaviors. Visit thecasualword.com.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
