The Space Between Desire and Reality: How to Trust the Timing of Your Life

It’s natural to have strong desires for what we want in life — great friendships, a nourishing social circle, a loving relationship, a fulfilling career, a bigger sense of purpose. Every desire you hold is a divine invitation. A nudge toward the life that’s meant for you.

But often, the moment we focus on what we want, our minds immediately shift toward what’s missing.
What’s not here yet.
What hasn’t happened.
What seems available for everyone but us.

It can feel like the bus that never picked you up — as though life forgot your stop.

And when you’re deeply craving something, it’s easy to misinterpret that craving as evidence that you’re behind, overlooked, or “not chosen.” Suddenly, the people around you who seem to effortlessly have what you desire become mirrors for everything you think you lack. Your energy shifts into comparison, jealousy, and quiet self-blame — not because you’re flawed, but because you’ve trained your attention to land on what isn’t working.

But here’s the truth nobody teaches us: wanting something doesn’t mean you’re far from it.

It means you’re aligned with the possibility of it.

If you’re sitting in a chapter of “in-between,” the liminal space between what you have and what you so honestly crave, please know this:

You are not behind.
You are not being punished.
You are not invisible.

This is a transition — not your destination.

There will always be a gap between what you have and what you want. This is the built-in mechanism that keeps you evolving. Think about something in your life right now that you once prayed for.
A job. A partner. A city. A friend group.
Remember how badly you used to want it?

And the moment it arrived, your desires naturally moved on to the next thing. That’s not ingratitude — it’s growth. It’s human nature.

Examples of “The Gap” That We Rarely Name Out Loud

• You want a relationship, but every date feels like a dead end.
  Yet in the meantime you’re learning boundaries, self-trust, and how you actually want to feel with someone.

• You want a deeper friendship circle, but you’re in a season of solitude.
  Yet this is strengthening your independence, creativity, and emotional clarity.

• You want career expansion but feel stuck in a role that doesn’t light you up.
  Yet this discomfort is what's revealing your bigger vision — the one you weren’t brave enough to admit before.

There is meaning in the delay. Every time.

When you bring your attention back to what is right in front of your two feet, you start seeing the small clues, nudges, and opportunities that guide you toward what you want. You release the pressure. You soften the resistance. And you open yourself to synchronicity again.

You will get to where you want to go — but you must be here, deeply here, to get there.

Reminders for the Space Between What You Have and What You Want

• Shift your focus from what’s missing to what’s abundantly present.

• Let go of the specifics; allow life to surprise and delight you.

• Absence does not equal unworthiness.

• Trust that what you desire is already on its way to you.

• Bring your attention back to this moment; life unfolds in the now.

A Practical Takeaway You Can Apply Today

Try the “One Degree Shift” Practice:

1. Identify the desire that feels far away right now.
   A relationship? A career change? A sense of belonging? Financial expansion?

2. Ask yourself: “If I already had this… what’s one small way I would show up differently today?”
   Would you dress with more intention?
   Would you speak more confidently?
   Would you make a decision without waiting for permission?
   Would you treat yourself with more generosity?
   Would you step outside, join a class, reply to a message, send an email?

3. Do just one of those actions today — not to force an outcome, but to align your energy.

This is how the gap starts to close.

Not through force or impatience — but through alignment, presence, and embodiment.

As always with love,

Amber