Have you ever had an experience where everything lined up unexpectedly perfectly?
This has been happening more and more frequently for me over the past month. I've met people who shared exactly what I needed to hear, know about, or offer what I wanted to have happen - right at the moment when it meant the most to me. I'd heard about this phenomenon and had synchronicities like this every so often. While I always appreciated the magic in the moment, it felt more like the dessert you sometimes treat yourself to rather than a way of life.
Believe me, I wanted it to be a way of life and I love dessert! So I set out to make it happen. I took the usual route of personal growth, seduced by the concept of perpetual happiness. This included keeping a gratitude journal and asking myself what the heck I needed to do differently in order to wake up jazzed every day. I was determined to "figure it out."
I made some progress in that department. Yet there was still an underlying fear questioning how and if things were going to work out. I would create goals, plans, take action - did those things that a good coach would do to move their life in a certain direction. It all counted, and there is certainly a place for that.
On some level, though, I knew that something fundamental had to shift within me. Just like that infamous saying "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Try that, then add on a pile of pressure, "Why oh why is it still the same? What am I doing wrong?" I see this happening with clients, which is what inspired me to put together the Get Clear and Turning a New Leaf programs. You can only turn in circles chasing your tail for so long before you drive yourself a bit bonkers!
Sound the buzzer. Time for a different kind of conversation.
Here's what changed that led me to experience synchronicity as a way of life rather than an occasional treat:
I relaxed.
There is something unbelievably liberating in taking a step back from your life and trusting that it works out. In doing so, you become open to and allow for that to be. Plus it feels better.
I paid attention to a new kind of evidence.
Any habit, no matter how much grief it creates for you, is still easy to perpetuate because you've been practicing it for awhile. One simple question to create a 180 shift "How is life supporting me right now?" Not only will you notice what's going well, you'll start to see how what you think is not going well is actually supporting you in getting clear. Then you get it - that life is always supporting you no matter what is happening.
I told myself "This or something better," and I believed it. Then I let it go.
On the control freak scale, I have occasional type A tendencies. One of my mentors would laugh at me "Vanessa, you aren't driving the car, so take your hands off the wheel." It's important to dream, to take action, and most importantly to remember we are being guided. There is a strong undercurrent directing our lives, all of us, no exception, no religious affiliation, it's an energy that comes with the package of being alive.
Most of the time, we get attached to what we want, question if it's possible, and act as if we're the only ones playing this game. When you dream it and release it, you partner with life in a way that feels empowering, mysterious, magical, and purposeful. A much different game than fear and victim-hood. The next time you feel stuck or fearful, gently remind yourself that the synchronicities and intuitive voice are always there, and now would be a good time to pay attention to them.











This is a really great reminder, Vanessa! I follow you on Twitter and I'm going to RT this because everyone needs some wellness-building nudges. I especially like your first point, about taking a step back....it's like getting out of your headspace for just a moment to see the bigger picture. Great stuff!
Lydia
Posted by: Lydia Fernandes, BA, CPBS | January 28, 2009 at 01:08 PM