Signs and Synchronicities

One of the aspects of spirituality that has led me to more enlightenment is the appearance and recognition of signs and synchronicities in my life. I have always believed that lost loved ones and the Divine find ways to communicate with us. In the past I thought that you had to consult a medium to be sure of the messages. I looked to priests to help explain why good things happen to bad people. But last summer I discovered that anyone and everyone can and does receive these messages directly from the Universe. And the way I discovered this was through reading a book I classify as one of my God-led media choices. Let me explain.

 I have found that at some of the lowest points of my life I have received comfort out of the blue through a song, album, book, or movie. When my beloved cousin died suddenly at age 27, I was a 22 year old who was completely lost and devastated. My whole family loved music, and I turned to it to help me heal. I had just purchased Van Morrison's album, Enlightenment, and the one song that really spoke to me was "Memories". Even though it sounded sad and mournful, it helped me realize that even death can't take away the shared love and memories that we had as cousins. I didn't understand why he had to die so young but eventually I realized how lucky I was to have had him in my life. So that is one of the first examples of Spirit leading me to comfort. There are so many examples of books and other media which helped me deal with personal problems in my life. "On Golden Pond", Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, "Tell the Truth", The Universe Has Your Back, and Bitter Is The New Black are all forms of media that found me just at the time when I needed them most. I believe that God put them in my path to teach and/or support me during some of my roughest days. 

Last summer didn't represent one of those tough periods in my life. I had a job I loved, good friends around me, and fairly good health in my family. I had taken a summer teaching job 30 minutes away which helped me get through the financially-lean summer months. Because of the distance between home and school, I decided to get some new titles for my Audible library. I loved listening to books especially when I was doing errands and chores. I also thought this was an excellent excuse to do one of my most favorite activities: shop. I chose a book that I had read about in Oprah Magazine called Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe. This part memoir part self-help book opened my eyes to the various ways that the Divine was trying to communicate with me. It also reminded me that I could ask for signs and receive them. As I drove and listened 60 minutes every school day, it happened over and over. First it was a feather, then a coin. I would choose an issue that was bothering me and chose a sign to give me direction. I can't tell you the comfort and direction I received from realizing that the Universe was always there to give us comfort. But as I thought back I realized that this was true at so many times in my life. At my cousin Nino's wake the song "I Can See Clearly Now" was played as per his lighthearted request (he told family and friends that whenever he died he wanted that song to be played but I was totally unaware of this). Now 30 years later I still consider that song to be a message from him letting me know that he is okay. More times than not whenever I have heard that song I have been worried or confused over a situation. It always breaks me out of that negative mood and brings a smile to my face. Talking to the Universe is a practice that I continue to use today. If you want to try it, remember that a conversation needs to be two way. Don't be afraid to ask the Universe or God for that direction and assistance. Prepare to be amazed when the answers come through in unexpected ways.

Synchronicities also have led me to a stronger spiritual constitution. I just don't believe in coincidences. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, the renowned author on death and dying, says that there are no coincidences but rather lessons sent on to us from above. I am in total agreement because of the significance certain events have held for me in my life. I met the most special man in my life when he returned my briefcase I had accidentally left by the front door of my school building. This led me to a friendship that has taught me so much about myself, both positive and negative. It still teaches me to this day despite our lack of contact. Another example of synchronicity in my life was the moment I plucked up the courage to ask my father to pay for me to study abroad. We were driving home in silence as I thought about how I wanted to bring up to my overprotective Italian father that I wanted him to finance a trip for his 19 year old daughter to live abroad in a country that WAS NOT Italy. What I didn't know was that at the same time he was about to ask me to work for another summer in his restaurant which he knew I didn't want to do (I agreed and he followed through with his promise to send me abroad). I learned at that point in my young life that if you don't ask a question, you will never know the answer even if you are SURE you know the answer. There have been many occasions where I have shown that courage despite being sure that the outcome was going to be the opposite of what I wanted. 

Think about the times in your life where the whole world changed on a dime. I'm sure you'll find that some of those times have taught you something about yourself. The next time you are faced with the possibility of an event being classified as destined or coincidental, consider that it might be a message from the Universe. It may contain an answer to a question or point you in a direction where you will learn so much about yourself. Random or not, Spirit is always willing to speak with you and to bless you with support. You just have to look for the signs.