I use the Universe as a collective to include God, Spirit, Great Mystery, Goddess, Aai, Allah, the angelic realm, fairies, elementals and spirit guides.  Whoever is in your own spiritual posse, even if not on this list, is good to know and important to honor.

Nods from the Universe are like getting green lights–or even getting mostly red lights.  When we are making choices for our highest good, even if we don’t fully realize it, the things we need to line up, to fall into place… do.  Even if that next step is actually a stepping-stone to something greater, it should be fairly manageable to get there.  I’ve found and have seen it so important to note whether things are smoothly flowing in a certain direction and if your intuition–your “gut”–also says yay.  Everything is information; my friends and family hear me say that a lot.  But I’ve learned this magical tool of detachment, especially when life does not seem to be going my way.

One of my brothers lived with me for several months last year; he was struggling to find work out here, knew Boulder wasn’t the greatest fit for him and understandably started getting really frustrated.  He wanted to visit family and friends in Wisconsin, and, since he wasn’t in a job here, decided he’d go to WI and told me he’d be back in about a month.  And then he landed an ideal job in Milwaukee; he’s been there since March.  Understand that this story doesn’t have a storybook ending: The “ideal job” ended up being kind of a sham after several weeks, but he enjoyed what he did there, saw other possibilities and got out of his rut developing here.  A new vision is developing.

Yet another friend who’s moving soon (Utah-bound) is a lovely cosmic gypsy, as she calls herself, and she knows when she gets “itchy” and needs to move on.  Her great perspective for why business picks up for her when everything else says “move” is that the Universe is giving her a nod that she’s on path and will have some extra money needed for moving expenses and so forth.  Seeing this shift almost a year and a half ago, she thought at first that the surge in money when she’d decided to leave the state (at that time a different destination) was a pull for her to stay.  I share her story because we don’t always understand the why or how, but trust is needed, and said friend knew she would need to leave Colorado when certain dynamics felt aligned and her intuition more fully supported the move.  Living arrangements, work and other elements did unfold positively, overall, for the interim, and now she’s in an even stronger place to make the move.

For me, finding my CU-Boulder teaching gig advertised on-line on the night of my birthday in 2004 was a dream; I had all kinds of signs telling me it was time to leave Colorado Springs, my job, my relationship and other aspects, but I needed the amazing key of applying for the instructorship and getting the job, which was granted, and I have been in Boulder for so many reasons these last six years.  Interestingly, this summer has been one of clarity, announcing great shifts to come and presenting a convergence of “nods.”  While I don’t yet know the details of when, how, what or even where, I remain open, waiting to know exactly what the change(s) will be, but know I’m ending a cycle of sorts. 

Especially when we’re unhappy and know we need a change, it’s time to start taking steps and see how things feel.  I liken this process to dipping our big toe in a pool or lake… how is it? does it seem right to go in further? do we notice distraction? what are our priorities, and are we prioritizing them? does it feel good? is it time to take the plunge?  If anything [and I mean jobs, relationships, other commitments and so forth] is too tough and presents constant struggle, frustration and unhappiness, I’ve learned these are not nods but the opposite.  Time to reconsider, evaluate and take action, even if it takes awhile.  Just know the pain may increase, the signs may get louder, and those red lights may be more frequent and even longer in duration.  We need to pay attention; how we act and/or respond is up to us.  Disappointment is information, joy is information, a lay-off is information, a repeated pattern is information, a new pattern is information… you get the idea.  My life has changed with this perspective, and even miserable circumstances (sometimes after a bit of venting and maybe even tears) is good information because it’s somehow getting me closer to a happier, healthier place.

I also liken this process to the temperature-guided game we played as kids and sometimes continue for fun: We know where we’ve hidden something, and we guide others, unknowing where the object is, with signals like “hot” [you’re really close], “cold” [you’re way off], “warm” [getting there] and fun variations like “ice-ice cold!” or “red hot.”  I think the Universe likes to play this game with us humans.  And the rewards can be happiness, peace and joy.  Are we listening?