Reality Talks Back

We call them omens, signs, kismet, synchronicities, and they simultaneously hearten and distress us, because they dismantle our illusion reality is random. We call it God’s will and surrender to it, or fate, and fight it at every turn, proud to withstand its unfair grip. We never think to just sit and listen to what reality has to say. She is not your enemy. It’s a partner who enjoys offering guidance, especially when you’re distracted and frazzled and can’t be bothered with nonsense. Most of the misfortunes of our lives come from our failure to listen. We like to think life whispers softly, and sure, sometimes that is the case, but it could blare at you through a megaphone and you still wouldn’t hear it because it’s not something that belongs in your frame of reference. It speaks to you through dreams, passing references, inspiration, feelings and memories, sudden changes in plans, meaningful encounters, strikes of luck and intractable circumstances. It stops short of putting a label on those, saying, ‘here, take this, this is yours’. It draws attention by using your favorite things, and irritating pet peeves, to make sure you got the message, and you get it, because you’re emotionally programmed to pay attention to it, but discard it like unsolicited mail. Once you realize you’re in an interactive environment, where you send out a signal and get back a response, you ask yourself what is it reality wants from you. Who is to say it wants anything? We always relate everything in our environment to ourselves. Most of the time it just puts up a giant sign to remind you, ‘I’m here, don’t dismiss me’. You’d be surprised how many times we remove what is from the equation, focused as we are on what ought to be. We all aspire to bend circumstances to our will, but here’s the secret: nobody puts effort into reshaping the irrelevant. What is matters. Treat it like it matters. Yes, the blinding flash of the obvious. We end up fighting it, eventually. It’s human nature to take luck for granted and find misfortune unfair, but what life keeps patiently telling us is some goals and expectations are like fancy ill-fitting garments; they cost you a fortune and just make you look bad and you have permission not to wear them. In conclusion, what are the points worth remembering? * Reality is interactive: you send out a signal, and it sends back a response. Read the response. * Feedback comes through dreams, chance encounters, inspiration, feelings and memories, meaningful connections, sudden changes in plans, luck and unavoidable circumstances. * Emotional associations are powerful attention grabbers; your likes and dislikes often highlight important details. * Nobody wastes energy on wrestling something irrelevant into submission. What is matters. Treat it like it matters. * Some goals and expectations waste your energy and don’t fit you and you have permission not to pursue them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theroundyear.substack.com