The Box
If it feels odd, it probably is. We really should listen to our internal guidance system and not push it to one side, but sometimes things come in to our path to test this perfectly tuned system is actually working!
If I'd gone with my gut, I wouldn't have this story.
You'll need some context, so I will be brief. I was approached through a private message on LinkedIn,
a platform relatively new to me, so my 'scam' senses were on full alert. Someone from India was asking if I would donate a painting to a global hunger project, in return for an all expenses paid trip to northern India. This screamed of a scam, but I had a few messages back and forth with the contact, sent me a lot of information. He wasn't asking for any bank details. In fact, he offered to put me in touch with other artists who had done the exchange. He was giving back to artists who provided the art, by giving them an incredible retreat type holiday.
It was still very odd...
The strange thing was the value of the art he requested. Thousands of dollars worth, but he didn't need to see it before it was shipped. He would send a courier and his PA would plan my trip. All in five star spa hotels owned by his family. I questioned how the art was valued, and he said it was on trust.
I did some digging. I even emailed the hotels, to ask if they really hosted artists on these retreat holidays. Yes, they do! The art would go on show in his gallery in Delhi and be sold to help fund this amazing charity. The odd thing was that this 'Mission Zero Hunger' project didn't seem to have much media coverage, but the gallery was there, although it hadn't been open very long.
Those who know me well, will be wondering why I was thinking a trip to India was a good idea at all, as I'm not one for global travel. I'd be going alone, and I don't even have a summer dress or a swim suit. But I thought, why not just DO IT. Go and prove you CAN travel and it's ok. So, I was put in touch with a couple of artists who had been. One in Lima who had recently returned from the trip. She was full of encouragement, saying she had also travelled alone and it was amazing. She was well looked after, fully escorted, and even got to meet the founder and his wife in person.
I got so far....
My work is powerful. It's created on high quality canvas and holds frequency and vibration. From the start of this process, he had always said the pieces would be collected from me, I just had to package them. I'd seen a few social media posts of other artists, who had taken their pieces rolled in their luggage, some being really large, but I don't take my work off the stretcher bars. They have to be shipped as complete pieces - two of which were professionally framed. I didn't want to go to the expense of building a crate for mine - I had four pieces of around 26" square - so they were bubble wrapped tightly and a placed in a carton, ready to be collected at the end of January.
I've been waiting for his PA to contact me. It's been six weeks, and the parcel is taking up space.
I could make all sorts of assumptions as to why nothing has happened. Maybe he's realised it's going to cost him a fortune to ship, but why not just say so? I would have thought he would know about global shipping costs, as he kept saying to wrap, and they will collect.
It's like the universe is protecting me.
Things were stalling until I made the decision. Today I made that choice, and the pieces have been unwrapped. This is not my path. The bottom line - I didn't really want to go in the first place! I decided to face my fear of travelling and take the leap, to prove to others I could do it. I don't need to prove anything to anyone. We are all different.
Ultimately your life is full of choices you make for yourself. We are in the Age of Aquarius where we are really waking up to a whole new way of living. A different way of doing business and a very different energy. If something doesn't feel right, don't do it. Go with your gut, and take time to really listen to your inner self. Do you want this? No. Do you want that? Yes, and move towards it.
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