but when ...?

for the first time in my life, i have been able to make a room in my home an office/study. true to form it is filled with all kinds of objects that reflect the things that interest me, many of which i've collected over many, many years. recently, i found a group of "fortunes" collected in a mug that i'd saved from fortune cookies that i'd consumed in years past.

clearly, i kept them as they provided encouragement that i must have needed at various times in my life. as i read them, i realized they had a particular resonance to what i'm experiencing in life now, so i put them all on a small piece of paper and have them on my desk blotter. here's what they say:

"there is no doubt you will lead a good life"

"you will overcome difficult times"

"you will discover new strength in an ongoing battle"

"your ability for accomplishment will follow with success"

so there they are, sitting where they can be a daily inspiration during this time of struggle. and yet that's the thing. how do i stay encouraged when all of these statements continue to be about things that will happen for me? when will i ever get to the point that i look at my life and see that they have happened for me? when?