My Favorite Quotes About Working with the Universe

I have a book that I read every morning.

I made it myself.

It is full quotes I have collected over the years that really speak to me.

Here are a few of my favorites from my chapter on working with the Universe.

“I yet lack the discernment to distinguish the whole lesson of today,
but it is not lost, it will come to me.”

"The universe places the perfect set of circumstances in front of you in order for
you to create a better version of yourself."

“There are thousands of paths that lead to happiness, don’t just accept one.”

"Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens."

"Within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our position."

“TRANSFORMATION HAPPENS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SURRENDER.”

“WHEN YOU LET GO YOU CREATE SPACE FOR BETTER THINGS TO ENTER YOUR LIFE.”

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To Manifest Or To Surrender, That Is The Question!

Do you ever feel the great conflict I do about what the Universe wants you to do when you desire something?

Are you supposed to ask for what you want.  Visualize it.  Believe it is yours.

Or are you supposed to allow what comes and know it is for your greatest good?  Surrender.  Let go.

I feel like I am often on a seesaw.

I want something and I try to manifest it and when I don't get it I think, "Gee, I shouldn't have asked.  I should allow the Universe to guide me."

Or when I am just letting things flow to me and I see someone else get something I wanted and I think, "Gosh, I should have set my intention on that because maybe the Universe didn't know I wanted it."

And there are plenty of people in each camp who will tell me why their side is what I "should" do.

But I am in a camp that actually believes that manifest and surrender actually work together.

And here is how I think it works.

1.  Ask For What You Want

Use whatever manifestation practices you have developed to ask the Universe to bring you anything that you believe will bring you joy!  

I used to think I could not ask for something very specific, like a sweater I saw or a job I wanted or a trip to a specific locale.  But, if it lights you up inside.  Ask for it!

If you are not sure on the specifics, like a specific sweater, then ask for a sweater that will make you feel beautiful or will keep you warm or will help you relax at the end of a long day.   

Be clear on your intention, but don't be afraid to ask!  With all the details.

2.  Sometimes You Get What You Want

Sometimes you get what you want because it is in your best interest and you are ready for it.

That's awesome!  Express some gratitude!

3.  Sometimes You Don't Get What You Want

Cry a little.  That's okay.

Then pick yourself up and say "Every moment is perfect."  Or a version that works for you.

Because the Universe is giving you exactly what you need.  

4. The Universe Is Guiding You to Live Your Soul Purpose

I believe that we each come in to this life with a soul purpose.

It is not something like being a doctor or a teacher or a hairdresser.

It is more like "using magic not manipulation" or "transforming darkness in to light" or "finding gratitude". 

It is more "being" than "doing"

You can express your soul purpose in any way you want.  Like being a doctor or a teacher or a hairdresser.  It is layered on top of whatever you choose to do.

I believe that your soul purpose is revealed to you over your lifetime, almost in layers.  So don't worry if you don't really know what it is just now, you will over time as you work on it.  I have an inkling of mine.  It get's clearer all the time.  But I am not fully there yet!

Just know that the Universe knows what it is, even if you don't!

(Sidebar ... for a great illustration of this concept, I highly suggest the book, I Remember Union.)

 I believe we all picked a purpose we wanted to achieve before we arrived in this life.  And fulfilling that purpose is the way we will achieve the most joy in this life, so it is more important than any desire we have generated in this life.

 If the Universe has to choose between giving you an opportunity to embrace your soul purpose or having something you think you want, it will choose your soul growth every time.

5. Your Soul Purpose Is Revealed In These Lessons

When you don't get what you want and you get sad or angry or depressed, there is a lesson there.

Your reaction is what you need to learn from.  What you need to explore.

The negative way in which you are reacting is exactly why you didn't get what you wanted.  

Because it is that reaction that is not working for you.
And I bet if you really take a look, every time you don't get what you want and you have a negative reaction, it is the same reaction.

There is a better way.  And it is your soul purpose.

So look at these lessons as the most valuable thing in your life.  More valuable than that sweater or that job or that trip that you didn't get.  You got something more valuable.

This is what you are here for!  And when you can find that better way, you will have found unbelievable joy.

(Note ... I used to think that the issue was in what I was asking for.  That I was asking for selfish things or what I was really asking for was approval, but recently I have realized that I can ask for anything I want, what the Universe is concerned with is how I deal with not getting it.  Because I can have anything I want once I have learned the lessons I came here to learn.)

6. Your Doubt Is Just An Illusion

So I have made it to step 5 for many, many years and then I hear a horrible voice in my head that says, "Well, everybody else is getting what you want and hasn't achieved ."  And I get all pissed off and I want to give up on steps 1 through 5 because nobody else seems to have to work this hard.

But this year I thought, aha, "What if everyone else is an illusion?"

What if I am at the point of knowing what I need to do but I am lacking the faith that it is the right path?  So the Universe is showing me all of these others who got what I wanted by other means.  What if the Universe is testing me?

What if these others are just an illusion?  And they will just disappear when I have faith in my soul purpose?

I believe now that the people that make me doubt myself are just an illusion and I can ignore them and follow my purpose.

And when I do, they will disappear and I can have whatever I want.

Because I won't need anymore lessons!

Or at least the lessons will get easier and easier the more I embrace my soul purpose.

So now I ask for everything I want.
And when I don't get it, I remind myself ...
... that this moment is perfect for my soul growth,
... that the lesson is to deal with this situation with grace and grattitude, and
... that all the better things happening to everyone else is just an illusion.

I encourage you to explore this practice the next time you don't get something you want.

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Reminding Myself That Every Tiny Action Matters

Sometimes I look at a problem in my life or in the world and I am just overwhelmed.

The problem seems too big for me to make a single bit of difference.

Syria. Organizations I am part of that are just disasters. That whole "wall" thing. Kids who have noone to read to them. And my list goes on.

It's those moments that I recall a tiny little story that reminds me that doing something is important. Even if it seems inconsequential.

There was once a young boy walking along a beach that was littered with hundreds of starfish. He picked up every starfish he found and placed it back in the ocean. He was working at this for hours and was barely making a dent. His father came up and said, “Son, there are just too many starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.” And his son, with a single starfish in his hand replied, “But I am making a difference to this one.”

The story reminds me that sometimes you may do something that seems quite insignificant, but always keep in mind that the littlest thing that you do to make someone’s life a little better, may have an impact that you cannot even imagine.

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Saying "Yes"... My Yearlong Surrender Challenge

In 2019, I am going to say "yes".
And I hope you will be part of this challenge to surrender.

You see, I have a little problem.
I have worked for years to develop my intuition and my connection to the Universe, my soul, and all things grander then myself.
I find myself listening to amazing suggestions that come from somewhere other than my mind.  Things I know are acting to guide me to my next best step.
I hear them, I believe them, I plan to do them.  And when the time comes, I listen to my mind tell me why it won't work and is a waste of my time.  Even though I felt that spark that said, for lack of a better mantra,  "just do it".
And I back out.

This happens with things as simple as hearing the suggestion to take a walk.  Where I say "oh yes" and in the next hearbeat I have decided it is too cold, too dark, too close to dinner to take a walk so I don't.
And it happens with bigger things too.  Like hearing the suggestion to set up a call with a coach I came across in a Facebook group.  I just knew she could help me and I set up the meeting.   Then the day before I decided I didnt have the money to pay her and I didn't really want to be coached afterall.

But I know from experience that if I hear the suggestion and follow through no matter what reasons I have not to, I am rewarded and changed for the better.
Like taking a writing course when I didn't think I really wanted to write a book or had the money for the course, has led to such amazing self discovery, some wonderful new friends, and a book!
Or flossing my teeth each time I hear the suggestion even though I don't want to has given me much better visits to the dentist.
And going on a holiday shopping trip with a friend when I thought I had too many other things to do, delivered me two of the most perfect books for my daughters.
I know when I surrender, I am rewarded.  Sometimes in big ways and sometimes in little ways, but always in some way.

And I want to bring more of these rewards into my life.
So, I am challenging myself to say "yes" to the suggestions that light me up no matter how much my mind protests.
And I would love if you tried it too!

Follow along on my journey on Instagram at #sayingyeschallenge!
Check it out!  Cheer me on!  Share your own experiences!
Just say "yes"!

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Does Allowing My Kid to Be Herself Make Me a Bad Parent?

I have been struggling to help my 14 year old daughter develop the organizational skills necessary for her to remember things that she has to get done and make some time each day to work on things.

Right now we are in a space where I am constantly reminding her.  Because as a homeschooler, there is not the natural consequence of a bad grade or having to experience the shame of telling the teacher you forgot.  And in a few short years I will not be there.

So I really want to make sure she develops the skills and habits necessary to live a successful life of ease.

But without crushing her spirit.  Does that make me a bad parent?

I want to allow my daughter to be herself.
I want to help her grow the things that bring her joy and help her to find effective ways to deal with the things that frustrate her.
I want to help her try new ways to be more organized.  I want to help her develop some practices for being less afraid to talk to new people.   I want to help her to develop more empathy.
But I also want to embrace that she is not super-organized or a social butterfly or the most aware person in the room and help her to appreciate that these are the things that make her, well, her.
I want her to know that we don't all have to force ourselves into the same mold.

Because with every challenging trait, there is something amazing.
Not worrying about deadlines and to-do lists allows her to be so creative and detail oriented, it allows her to focus deeply on the task shes in at this moment.
Not loving idle chit chat keeps her away from the evils of gossip and the traditional "mean girl" drama.
Not being hyper-aware of other people protects her from worrying about what other people think of her and enables her to be her authentic self.
There is a dark and light side to everything.

Of course there is great value in finding some balance between the dark and the light.
And that is sometimes a slippery slope for a parent.  To look at a trait that is not the "normal" one or the "favored" one and not try to replace it with a "better" one.  While also helping your child to have the minimum skills that will provide them with a life of ease and joy.
I worry.  Am I trying to change her too much?  Am I being too lax and sending her off into the world unprepared?
How do I know where the line is?
Am I a bad parent?

At this point in my life, I am erring on the side of helping her to embrace who she is.
When I see things that I think will challenge her in the future, I make suggestions for new practices she can try.  To help her be more organized, we have tried planners and bullet journals and now Google Calendar with reminders.  To help her be comfortable talking to new people, I ensure that she is put in situations where that can happen naturally like sending her in to the store to buy things or making her attend the dance studio holiday party.   To help her be more aware of people, we talk all the time about how people might be feeling or how our actions might impact them.

But I don't force my suggestions on her.  I ask her to do her best.
I ask her to try using a new planner for 30 days and see how it goes.  I don't insist she talk to people at the party, just that she go.  I don't reprimand her for being unaware of someone's feeling but just discuss how the situation might have been different.
I don't let up on my efforts but I let her choose what to incorporate into her life.  I believe when she finds the practices that work for her, she will embrace them.  I also believe that if she is one day motivated to be really organized or social or empathetic, she will learn those skills on her own with ease.

It's like my other daughter and math.
She's not so great at it.  But I believe that we all need basic math to get along in the world.
So I don't let up on my efforts to help her get comfortable with fractions and algebra. 
But I do accept that she will never pick a path in life that involves advanced math so I don't force it on her.  And if, one day, she decides she wants to be an accountant or a scientist and she needs the advanced math, I know that she will learn it because she is motivated.

Of course I do worry that this relaxed, "you do you" attitude of mine makes me a bad parent.
I worry that I am blocking off some paths for them by not insisting they conform to all of the "normal" traits that our society favors.  I worry that one day they are going to hate me for not "making them".  I worry about what other people think sometimes.

But not too much. 
Instead I try to focus on how much I love allowing my kids to blossom into their own authentic selves. 
And I stop worrying so much about being a bad parent!