One of the ways I like to make the end of a year work on my behalf is to assess how the past year has redirected me. It’s tempting to look back on the year and regret errors I made or things that seemed to not work out.  But failure and regret exist only at the shallowest level of appearances. What seems to be a dead end sign is an arrow pointing you in another direction. The universe is saying, “This is not it. There is a better direction for you. Go that way and you will find what you are looking for.” No movement in life is wasted. It all has a purpose. You just have to know how to read the signs. 
     
Dee and I were shopping for a new home when we found a lovely parcel on a mountainside. The lot was large with magnificent views, a meandering stream running through it, and decently priced. Although we would have preferred a property with a home already on it, we liked it and told the real estate agent we were going to make an offer. She arranged for us to meet the owner.
     
The day before we were to sign, I received a letter from the bank that mortgaged my current home, informing me that my mortgage would be more than doubled starting the next month. This had to be an error, so I phoned the bank. The agent informed me that the loan I had taken out had been based on interest only for ten years, and now I would have to start paying principle as well. This news was quite burdensome, considering I would have to pay a large mortgage on our current home until we sold it, plus the new one, plus build a new home. I felt overwhelmed and told the real estate that we would not purchase the new property.
     
A month later we discovered a different property closer to the ocean, just a few miles down the hillside from the one we had looked at. This property already a well-built turnkey house on it with  a great view, plus a car and truck thrown in with the deal, all at a price not much higher than the mountainside property.  We fell in love with the place, a friend offered us the money to finance it, we made a deal, moved in, and loved it.           
     
Living at the lower altitude, we discovered that the weather in this microclimate was entirely different than those nearby. We looked up the mountainside to see the property we had originally considered and noticed it was extremely rainy. Our new property was almost constantly sunny. We could hardly believe the difference in rainfall over just a few miles distance and a few hundred feet in altitude. But it was so.  We were extremely grateful that we didn’t purchase the mountainside property. It would have been much too rainy for us.
     
Looking back on the process of the mortgage being more than doubled at that exact moment, dissuading us from purchasing the mountainside property, I see that the mortgage increase was a huge gift. Spirit was redirecting us to live in a place much more desirable, and avoid the work of building a house. What seemed to be a curse was a blessing. We eventually sold our original house, so everything worked out perfectly.
     
Everything is working out perfectly even when it doesn’t appear to be so. All spiritual traditions teach that the world we believe is so real is really a manifestation of maya, or illusion. When a job, business deal, or relationship falls through, don’t be fooled by the current appearance. There is more going on than meets the eye. If this deal or relationship was right for you, it would have worked out. There is something better in store for you. Relax, breathe, and be patient. You are being redirected. 
     
A young woman called in to my radio show (hayhouseradio.com) and reported that a guy she had dated told her he didn’t want her to phone or text him anymore. She was wondering if she should pursue him. “Why would you want to pursue someone who doesn’t want you?”  I asked her. “This fellow obviously doesn’t recognize the beauty and value you offer. Or he is simply not a good match. There is someone else out there who will desire and appreciate you for who you are. If you are busy chasing someone who doesn’t care, you are not available to someone who does care. Let go of what doesn’t fit so you are free to receive what does fit.”
     
What is right for you will find you without struggle or suffering. If you have to fight with yourself or someone to make something happen, it’s not it. There is a better fit for you, and you can have it if you let life take you where it—and you—want you to go.
     
How has this year redirected you to get clear on what you want and what you don’t want, and where you would like to head now instead of where you were headed? If you are now heading in a new and better direction, the experiences of this year have served you well. Let us bless them all, along with the greater good to come.

Alan Cohen is the author of The Grace Factor, and the new bestseller A Course in Miracles Made Easy: Mastering the Journey from Fear to Love. For more information about Alan’s programs, free daily inspirational quotes, online courses, and weekly radio show, visit www.AlanCohen.com.