I’ve been thinking about this quote I saw yesterday:
“…The only way one can find their way is to first be lost. To make it big, start out small. To fall in love, first feel none…[The hard times] are simply a sign that you've made a really, really big and daring ‘wish,’ and its manifestation has already begun.”
Our world is made up of contrasts so it does make sense that we’d have to start at a low point to get to a high one. And I often say we need to go through extremes in order to really learn and grow. If we were all born into perfect lives, it would be pretty boring, like a path to nowhere.
So I think that all the contrasts and extremes are actually the universe’s way of guiding us to gratitude. I mean, how sweet does it feel when the good stuff comes after a period of hard stuff? The past few weeks here in NYC, it’s been about 11, maybe 13 degrees (not to mention that bomb cyclone thing). That’s so cold it hurts. Yesterday when I stepped outside, it was suddenly 45 degrees and it felt like summer to me (so not exaggerating). I was ecstatic. I rejoiced in not having to wear earmuffs and fourteen layers to the post office two blocks away. But if a 45-degree day happened during the summer, I’d be grabbing those earmuffs. So starting out at a painful 11 degrees made me outrageously grateful for the 45.
On Monday while I was grocery shopping, a pretty bad back spasm kicked in. I desperately tried to think of something I could do to get me through until I could return home (I wasn’t turning back without my gluten-free bread). So I decided to focus on the parts of my body that were functioning well—thank god my feet and legs were working. Grateful my brain remembered where the bread aisle was. I appreciated the functioning parts of my body that on any other day I would take for granted and not even notice. Compared to my back, my feet were superstars.
Why does the universe set us up for gratitude? Because that’s where the magic happens. When I focused on the working parts of my body, my back pain became a bit more bearable. When I noticed the change in temperature outside, I felt joy. That’s raising our vibration, which attracts what we want. The real trick is to be grateful for the hard stuff, and feel like you already have the good stuff. Then it all really happens!
So I’m going to go and thank my back now because I know it’s teaching me cool stuff. And get this—Friday, it’s supposed to be 61. I’m going to find my bathing suit after I thank my back.
It’s all about the magic. 🙌