Part of what I love about coaching is discovering and understanding different people's beliefs about the world around them, and how they view the mysterious and unknowable spaces associated with it. Some people call these spaces "god" or "a higher power," some "the universe," and some talk about it as the interconnectedness of humanity. (And some haven't given it a thought until we've talked.) Whatever you call it, I'm talking about the energy that is outside yourself, not something you can control, but something you likely have a belief or two about. (For simplicity's sake, I'm going to now refer to that as "the universe," but you can substitute your word for it when I do.)
What I've also seen is that people's perspectives on the universe span the gamut, ranging from something like "it wants me to suffer" to "it has no impact on me" to "it wants me, specifically, to thrive." Some clients bounce back and forth between the extremes, but most generally settle somewhere to the right or left of center.
What's important about understanding how you view the universe is knowing how your beliefs about the universe impact the way you see your role in it. When you believe the universe is against you, you'll collect signs, examples, and "facts" that will show you it is. This will make a regular task Herculean -- the whole universe is against you! How could you possibly succeed? But when you believe that the universe is for you, you'll see the signs, examples, and "facts" that it is. Neither side is more true (unless it is -- I'm not professing to have insider knowledge here) but both sides are equally powerful.
Part of what I'm talking about here is also expectations (which I've talked about before). Believing that you live in a hostile universe or with a conditional god causes stress and anxiety that makes your life more difficult. What if it simply weren't true?
How to get clearer on what you believe
One key to all of this is getting clearer on what you believe about the universe. Answer the questions below to help you get more specific about the water in which you swim:
How do you define the universe/god/higher power/etc.? What is it and how does it impact you?
How would you explain what you believe to a peer, and how would you explain it to a child?
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is hostile to you and 10 is supportive of you, where do you think the universe falls for you? Where does it land for other people?
What do you think is the universe's plan (if any) for you?
When did you form your beliefs about the universe? How have they changed over time (if at all)?
What could you do (if anything) to make the universe more supportive of you?
There are also two quotes I want to throw in here and a tool that has helped me:
From Wayne Dyer, "Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change." I love this because it can be tempting to think that you're "seeing reality" or "telling it like it is" but you're simply seeing what you believe and telling it like you are.
From Eric Butterworth, something like "For the person who believes that something wonderful is about to happen, something wonderful is happening." (I apologize -- I've had this quote on a piece of paper for decades and can't find it now that I want to, and the internet hasn't been helpful, but this is the gist.)
And many years ago, I signed up to receive Notes from the Universe. Every weekday morning, I wake up an email from the universe telling me wonderful things. About how loved I am, how much I bring to the world by simply existing, and how believing what I want to see before I see it helps bring it to pass.
Coaching can help you shift your perspective on the universe, too. As always, feel free to reach out -- I'm pretty sure I can help!
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