Randomly. Out of the blue. Out of nowhere. Suddenly. Spontaneously.
When I hear a client use one of these words or phrases I have us pause and reflect. Did that just happen randomly? I don’t believe so. When things occur out of the blue in our lives, I believe it is evidence of one of two things.
When a client says she started journaling out of the blue after years of finding it so hard to stick to the habit, I remind her of all the internal work she’s been doing lately, and how the ease of incorporating journaling into her life is evidence of that internal energy shift. Wow. That’s way more empowering than believing it just kind of happened on its own.
When a client shares that he randomly bumped into a former college buddy and they reminisced on how they used to jam and he was reminded of how relaxed and at ease he felt with a Jimbay drum in his hands, I encourage him to listen to what the universe is telling him and find ways to incorporate music back into his life. Usually this is followed up by another story of another way he was reminded of his love for music….and he starts seeing a pattern. You see- the universe is telling you something. The universe is giving you a gift. Are you listening?
These random things are not random at all. They are either the fruit of your internal energy shifting due to your intentional efforts, or they are messages from the universe.
To help myself out of feeling lost and aimless after a significant life transition (which included lots of loss and change), I started seeking a way out. I felt so stuck and had nothing to help me. No religion. No family. No prestige to fall back on. I got kind of desperate because I wanted something more, not just for me, but also for my husband and our young child. So I started on this journey. I’ll write about the specifics of that in another article, but for the sake of the key point I want to share here, it’s enough to say I started on a journey and that journey led to a lot of random and out of the blue things and encounters. These things helped me lift the fog I was in. Below I share some of them.
I started riding a bike again after several years of it collecting dust in the garage. I made some trinkets out of clay and played with water paints, just because. I started writing these articles and they just keep pouring out of me. I started writing my life story to help me make better sense of my narrative. I’ve reached out to people when their name pops into my mind. I keep bumping into people I know all around town and I go up to them and say hi and try to connect with them in some way. I made an altar in my home which is something new to me. I started burning incense again. I created an inspiration wall where I capture all the quotes and concepts I want to be reminded of daily. I’m gobbling up inspirational books. I suddenly completely changed the course of the educational path I had been so diligently developing for my kid.
These aren’t random at all. They are evidence of the shift that is occurring internally. There should be a warning: don’t pursue this path unless you are open to change. What I love about these examples that I’m sharing is that as you can see, some are minor and mild changes. Some of these things you as the reader are probably already doing and enjoying. That’s the point though. These examples are evidence of the personal shift I am experiencing. Each one of us will have our own list of seemingly random things and encounters.
I’m also much more aware of the messages or signs the universe is sharing with me. Instead of thinking of these things as random and potentially ignoring their significance, I pay attention to them, I learn in, I listen, especially when they pop up more than once. Ok, universe, I’m listening. I’ll share an example.
I’m focusing on creating meaning in my life, and that to me means finding ways to contribute and asking what it is I have to offer. So I was on a solo hike, pondering this question. What do I have to offer? And suddenly (yes, there’s that key word!), I encounter a group of like 7 or 8 Latino men who are working on trail maintenance. I offer to let them pass me but instead they all step aside and let me walk by. I joke with them about how I feel like I’m walking through a parade, and they pretend to cheer me on, and we exchange some words in Spanish and continue going our opposite ways. It was a joy filled encounter. I couldn’t help but smile. So, I paused and reflected on that encounter. I felt so at ease with them. They smiled and engaged with me, and we all had a positive encounter. I felt comfortable being vulnerable and a little goofy with them, and they were receptive. It left me feeling alive. And then I recalled what I had just been asking the universe- what do I have to offer? It hit me like a bolt of lightning, I gotta work with the Latino community. No duh. I was raised in Latin America. I truly feel comfortable and at ease in the culture. I’ve been resisting that idea for a while for various reasons but listening to the universe and leading from a focus to contribute what I have to offer, has given me the confidence to move forward with working with the Latino community. I don’t have it all figured out yet nor is that necessary at this stage. The point is the universe is giving us gifts, the universe is giving us messages, are we listening?
At times the universe also shows up as a tug, a nudge, an idea you just can’t seem to shake, a feeling in the pit of your stomach- that kind of a thing. Learn to listen to that too.
So what random things have been happening in your life recently? Could they be evidence of your internal shifting? Could they be messages from the universe- a gift of clarity from the universe? I encourage you to pay attention to these seemingly out of the blue encounters and things in your life. They are empowering. They hold truth. They show you how far you’ve come and guide you to what’s next.