Choices in Perspective

Today (Sunday, when I’m actually writing this), was the Pier Street Market. It’s the Market that I read tarot at every Sunday (almost) from May-September, in lovely Campbell River, BC.

Market Comparison Walks WithinIt’s right on the waterfront, next to the pier. It’s an absolutely gorgeous location – beautiful sea breeze, view of the water and Quadra Island. And most of the summer, the weather is great. We have the odd occasion where the wind threatens to take out our tent, but we’ve had sun almost the whole season.

Except today. Today, autumn announced itself, with wind and rain. Close to half of the vendors (I think) backed out or just didn’t show up today. We even sat in the parking lot for a while trying to decide whether to stay or go, and if we stayed, how and where to set up.

We did stay, and really had to adapt for the weather. Because of the wind, the rain got everywhere, even inside the pop-up. Every gust spattered us inside the tent. (Admittedly, the pop-up is three years old, and it gets regular use in the summer, so the canopy is showing its age.)

We used our van as a brace, and bungee’d the legs to the tires. We used the curtains that normally make a privacy area for reading to make a canopy within the canopy, so the tarot cards would stay dry. We pulled the table back further into the tent, and didn’t put out all of our normal display to avoid damage.

And then we waited.

And waited.

And smiled at the hardy folks who came to the Market. And waited.

I thought to myself, “This is it. This is going to be the first day that I haven’t even made my table fees.”

This isn’t actually the first time that I have thought that. I have had quiet days in the past. The mental conversation typically goes something like this:

“Quiet day today. It’s still early. It will pick up. Today’s going to be the first day that I don’t make my table fees. Grr! That sucks. Focus on the positive. Be attractive. Maybe that person will come for a reading. No? I’m so angry. They’re going to ask for my table fees and it has to come out of my pocket. GRRR! Calm down. Relax. I can’t have lunch, because I haven’t made any money, and now I’m hangry, too. Great. ”

Et cetera, et cetera, working myself up into a tizzy of frustration and poor me. Which usually ends up as a lot of wasted energy, because I have always covered my table fees, at a minimum.

Today was different. The conversation started out the same. Up until the “Grr!” Today, it was, “Oh well. I’ve done well at other Markets, and that’s part of the risk of coming out.”

I actually maintained a positive expectation to cover the table fees. Yes, I dipped into doubt a few times, and I was able to bring myself back up easily. Even when the Market coordinator came to collect the fees, I was OK with it. I didn’t complain. I mentioned that we hadn’t done any business today, but not in the hope of not having to pay (like I sometimes have before). More as information for how the Market went overall.

I tried to work out the reasons we weren’t doing as well. Was it the weather? Was it our location? Was it because our tent was set back a little from the rest of the row? Was it because we had less on display? Did it really matter?

No. It didn’t. I was in a position of abundance instead of lack. Is positive thinking and a positive attitude a cure for all your ills? No. It still helps.

Sure enough, in the last half hour of the Market, I had two full length readings back to back that not only covered the table fees, they also covered the lunch my husband and I had. Thank you, Universe!

Blessings,

Mary