Right place, right time.

“Being in the right place at the right time.”

You must have heard or seen this phrase many, many times. It is often in connection with “luck”. But, as they also say, “luck has nothing to do with it”.

Being in the right place at the right time is the result of things coming together for you. It reflects your efforts, your persistence and most of all your passion to see things through.

What is crucial to this discussion is recognizing that you can’t discuss one without the other; place and time go together.

"Einstein did not quite finish the job of presenting his theory of relativity as, what is referred to, the Fourth Dimension. Contrary to popular belief, he did not draw the conclusion that space and time could be seen as components of a single four-dimensional spacetime fabric. That insight came from Hermann Minkowski (1864-1909), who announced it in a 1908 colloquium with the dramatic words: 'Henceforth space by itself, and time by itself, are doomed to fade away into mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two will preserve an independent reality'." (Emphasis mine.)

Image credit: The Economic collapse

Having a good sense of direction can be an asset in getting you to be in that right place. But that sense cannot take place in isolation of your sense of time. Where we want to go and how we need to get there, is tied up with having a sense of when we need to be there and how much time it would take to get there.
Sara Jacobovici

In, Finding the Needle of the Compass,  Ali Anani refers to nature in discussing the concept of having a sense of direction. Dr. Ali writes: "The migrating animals and birds amaze all of us in their sensing of the direction to follow each time they migrate." (Emphasis mine.)

Shaunacy Ferro writes:

"There are a few theories about how birds find their way between their seasonal homes, and there are still some mysteries surrounding how exactly their honing systems work. For many birds, however, migration is an instinct, a journey their bodies are prepared to take when the time comes." (Emphasis mine.)

Megan McPhee writes:

"How salmon return to the correct shore­line region is not completely understood. It appears they use some form of “map and compass” navigation based on information about position and direction of travel. This information most likely comes from a suite of environmental cues, including day length, the sun’s position and the polarization of light that results from its angle in the sky, the earth’s magnetic field, and water salinity and temperature gradients." (Emphasis mine.)

Human radar holds more options; we can choose where to go and determine the time needed to reach our destination. I offer the following questions and suggestions as “starting points” to help us take the right steps that will lead to that place and time.

· Engage in the metaphor: “Walk” through what needs to take place now and how. “Map” the options out, describe the “path” to take, list the “steps” needed to start you on your way.

· Ask: In which direction am I headed?

· Do I have a compass to help me along the way?

· Do I have a map that shows me where the stops and detours are?

· Is there a guide helping me find my way?

· What is all this leading to; a goal, a vision, success?

· Why am I thinking of this move now?

· What led me to this point?

· What part of this will be the most time consuming?

The answers to these questions reflect the work involved in getting you to be in the right place at the right time. In this way, you make your own luck. You, the person, enable the process to be realized.

There is a saying that every nice piece of work needs the right person in the right place at the right time. - Benoit Mandelbrot