I’ve been walking around lately with gritted teeth. A bit raw and irritated by everything and everyone. Traffic, rude people, long lines, and assaultive noises rub me the wrong way and eat away at my happiness.
This is the world that many of us live in, and there isn’t much about it we can control. It’s not everyday that we see things this negatively, but there are those times where perspective is getting the best of us, and a downward spiral ensues. On these days the universe is conspiring against you.
Then there are the times in life where the world feels safe, friendly and abundant. When life is good, we feel content, supported and connected. This is a beautiful planet and we walk through our day with an open heart ready to receive.
Such a difference!
So how do we live more often in the latter state of mind – the one that brings us more pleasure, a healthier life, and more peace in our minds?
It’s All About Perspective.
The way you see everything in your life is colored by what you believe, and the stories you tell yourself. Your mind is an organic fortune teller and it will make predictions and assumptions about the world that sometimes serve you, but often causes suffering.
On a recent podcast I was listening to I heard Byron Katie talk about her theory of a friendly universe. She prophecies that if we see the universe as a friendly place we can shift our negative thinking and live in a more peaceful state by challenging the preconceived ideas we have about the universe being unfriendly.
If you can trust that what comes into your life has presented itself for a reason, and that you were meant to experience certain things to either learn or grow, you can reduce the pain and struggle you impose on yourself.
If you’ve been rejected you’ve been “spared”.
If you miss out on an opportunity the timing wasn’t right.
If you get a speeding ticket you’re being reminded to slow down.
If the universe is presumed to be friendly, then anything it delivers to your doorstep can be used to your advantage, and your conspiracy theories about an unfriendly universe can be reframed and understood in a new light. Trusting the universe provides the courage you need to take risks and to actively seek what you want to achieve.
If you expect the universe to work against you, you’ll remain stuck in fear and feel frustrated by not being able to live the life you authentically want.
I’m not proposing that this works for everything. There are certain things in life that simply suck and shouldn’t happen, but if we can transform the smaller setbacks into opportunities by simply changing the way we view them then why not?
We do enough damage to ourselves by demanding perfectionism, hating our bodies, feeling unworthy and living with shame. Letting the universe be a supportive friend as opposed to a black hole waiting to suck us in, we give ourselves the opportunity to walk through the world with a lighter step and an open heart.
By Andra Brosh