Listening to the universe

Signs of the bright side

Photo by Madison Oren on Unsplash

Not too long ago I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. I’d gotten my sixth diagnosis in less than a year, and the latest treatment had caused an allergic reaction that made me itch like crazy from head to toe. I was furious.

I probably spent a full week stressing out over my situation. To be fair, it was very hard not to think about it—the itching was insane—but I probably bummed myself out more than was necessary.

A few weeks after the itching finally subsided, a funny thing happened. In the course of a few days, I had two loved ones, one stranger, and a few other signs from the universe all basically tell me the same thing: You need to look on the bright side.

The Internet is filled with similar messaging; you can find advice on how to manifest, take control of your own destiny, count your blessings, remember your affirmations, and so on. Some of that advice is merely trendy, some is grounded in research and truly helpful, and some just makes good intuitive sense. This kind of advice can be triggering—too positive, too dismissive of your pain—if it doesn’t come at the right time. When I was deepest in my health struggle, this kind of positive encouragement was especially difficult to hear. Like, can’t you see what I’m really dealing with? This is a Big Deal. Although I am not typically the type to stew or ruminate, this time, perhaps because I was ill equipped to handle this big a stressor, I held onto how bad I was feeling.

But after a while, mercifully, something shifted and I started to hear things differently. I became less defensive and more hopeful. I allowed myself to admit that yeah, I probably have wallowed enough, and yeah, it probably is time to look on the bright side.

So when, over the span of a few days, three people told me—some passionately, some gently—that I needed to think more positively, I noticed. And when I cracked open a new book that same week and saw this, I knew it was time to listen. I’d felt my pain enough.

A message from the Indigo Girls?! Yeah, I didn’t see that one coming either.

Shifting your mindset around something that’s bothering you isn’t easy. You can’t rush it; you have to feel your way through it. But eventually, when you’re good and ready, when you’re open to the signs of the universe, you’ll find the other side.

🎧 📚 What I’m reading

• The Premonition, by Banana Yoshimoto: A nineteen-year-old girl feels haunted by a secret life she can’t access. Only when the girl tunes into a premonition and follows her intuition can she uncover the truth. We’re listening to the universe this month, right?

💸 Currently coveting

• A new pair of balloon leg jeans. I’ve been wearing this perfect pair of Levi’s for years but they’re starting to get worn down, and I can’t seem to find another pair out there. Sadly it looks like they’ve been discontinued. Given the comments, it seems I’m not the only bummed about the change. Where will I find the perfect balloon leg now? Halp!

📖 Book update

• The audiobook version of Rest Easy is currently 50% off, through 4/13! If you need a reason to relax your way into Spring, this is it.

💌 Thanks as always for reading along and supporting my work. If you like what you see, hit the heart button, drop a comment, or share this with someone you think will love it, too. You can order my new book or book me for a speaking event here. 💌