Is This A Sign?

Is the Universe sending me signs via my (former) Pilates instructor?

At the end of my Pilates reformer class this morning -- by the way, I think mentioning your Pilates practice might be an analogue to the vegan joke, i.e., “How do you know if someone’s a vegan? They tell you. All the time.”) -- anyway, after my Pilates class, the instructor said that this was her last week at the studio because she was moving on.

Why Losing My Favorite Instructor Made Me Pause

What? First of all, I was bummed. I really like this instructor a lot. I’m new to Pilates this year, so I felt encouraged and supported by this instructor. While I’m happy for her and the new opportunities she’s going to dive into, I was sad for myself. But I’ll get over it. Now if the other instructor I really like decides to leave, well, I don’t even want to think about that.

But what I did think about, as I was driving away, was this question:

Was This a Sign From the Universe?

Meaning, should I view this change in my life and my routines as a personal sign? Like, is the Universe speaking to me personally?

There are two reasons that I had this thought.

One is that it’s about to be a new year, and as one does, I’m thinking a lot about the year ahead, and I’m open to what’s in store for me ahead. I’m open to rethinking how I do things and why, so everything that happens today is possibly a sign that I should pay attention. Maybe today, of all days, it’s easier to imagine that the Universe has got me on speed dial and is trying to get my attention.

The other reason I thought this might be a sign is because, well, why not? Why not imagine that everything around me is happening because of and for me?

Of course, I’m not so self-absorbed (I think) to imagine that the Pilates instructor is leaving because of Thor. (Or is she?)

What If Everything Is a Message?

But what if I were to go through my life believing that everything that happened was meant to be exactly that way? Everything in my life today is the quantum field, the Universe, Consciousness, God -- speaking to me and communicating to me specifically.

This is a very powerful observation to grapple with. Literally everything is a message for me? I mean, it could be.

From Crises to Whispers: How Life Talks to Us

We’re all familiar with the idea that a crisis or emergency or health scare is one way that life talks to us -- “Hey! Slow down, you! Pay attention!” That doesn’t seem so hard to accept. “I get it,” we say when the ER doctor tells us we have to make changes. “God,” we plead in these kinds of moments, “I promise to make changes if you just help me get through this.”

So if we can accept that kind of “advice” from the Universe, why not accept that the message can be delivered in a smaller, softer way? Less shouting in your face and more whispering in your ear. Less screaming, more “wee small voice.”

The Power of Being Open to Everyday Signs

Maybe my Pilates instructor telling the class that she’s making a change -- maybe that’s a sign. Maybe the signs are all around me.

Maybe I just need to be open more to reading the signs.