Things get overwhelming in moments like these, and it becomes tough to regain the faith that whateverโs wrong will eventually work out. The advice of how we should โtrust the universeโ and have faith in ourselves is given to us, and weโre told to sit back and see our hard work paying off.
Often there are times when we feel lost, stuck, helpless, and out of control, and in these moments, we have all felt the need for some kind of reassurance that things will be okay. We end up wondering why nothing seems to be going our way or whether the universe is just not in our favor.
Advice like this can sometimes leave us baffled. What does it mean to โtrust the universeโ? How does it even work, let alone guarantee that whatever it is thatโs troubling you right now will end soon? Where and how exactly does one begin to trust the universe?
For instance, maybe youโve got an assignment that you wish to get done well enough in advance that you get a sense of achievement, but you canโt seem to formulate your thoughts coherently. What to do now?
Take a break. Please donโt make it a burden for yourself, but instead, take a step back and use this time to gather your thoughts, place them out in front of you to visualize them so that, soon enough, they start making more sense and become clearer.
This way, instead of letting that feeling of being stuck overwhelm you, you learn to take a different perspective. One that lets youย trust the universe instead, and in doing so, also lets you place more trust in yourselfย and your capabilities.
But then again, if you trust the universe, how does that mean you are trusting yourself? Letโs begin with some basic points to keep in mind when you learn what it means to trust the universe and let go of the constant need for control.
Ways to Learn to Trust the Universe:
First, you have to let go of the notion that it is completely and utterly important for you to have control over everything that happens in your life. Mainly because itโs untrue and because having that mindset puts an incredible burden on you to always make sure that things are going according to your wishes and necessities.
Let go of the thinking that it is important to have everything happen as you want it to, and start looking at your everyday happenings as things that are set out for you through which you are meant to grow, learn, and flourish. Begin to trust the universe and what it presents to you in this way.
This kind of mindset also makes it easy to believe that whatever happens, no matter how good or bad, is happening for you and not to you. This allows you to gain a much difference when you find yourself in one of those moments where nothing feels like it will work out.
Letโs break it down into 8 easy points to remind yourself why you need to trust the universe.
1. Give in to That Feeling of Helplessness Momentarily.
Accept and acknowledge what youโre feeling, step back, and look at things from a neutral perspective. This will help you not let your emotions take over you and think a little more rationally instead. It always helps to change how youโre looking at things when what youโre looking at stops making sense.
2. Recognize Whatโs Happening is For You and Not to You.
When you look at situations with a mindset that follows this principle, you stop thinking of yourself as a victim and therefore stop thinking that the universe works against you.
Having the perspective that things are happening to you so that you may learn from them, grow and blossom into a better and stronger version of you makes it easier to tackle the hurdles that life throws your way and take them with a cherry on top.
Allowing you to gather lessons learned from tough times, this perspective, in turn, prepares you for facing adversities in the future with a better outlook.
3. Find a Sense of Oneness With the Universe.
Spending time with nature, observing its beauty, and letting the feeling of being one with it take over you; meditating; being mindful: these are just a few ways of finding unity with nature, with the universe.
Once you begin to find the universe in yourself and yourself in the universe, it becomes clear even with just the understanding of this that once you trust the universe, you are, in turn, trusting yourself.
4. Let Your Intuition Guide You.
Those epiphanies sometimes have moments of sudden realization that maybe a path different from what youโre on is the one you should be taking: never let them go unnoticed. Instead, please give them your attention and let them add a touch of your higher self to your perception of things, thoughts, and understanding.
5. Understand That the Universe Will Not Always Work to Please You.
To put it simply, without any adversities to face or any difficulties to encounter, there would be no opportunity for you to grow and learn. Everything would be perfect and with no scope of any more improvement. This is why, while it is true that the universe is always at work for you, it does not always work to please you.
The hurdles in your way may throw you off and make it seem like you are simply getting anything but what you truly want. However, once you cross these hurdles, you move towards what your goals and desires are.
It is a journey that youโre on, and while the universe does serve you, this does not necessarily mean that it will always please you.
It presents to you things that are not always what you want but will be exactly what you need, and the realization of this fact only hits you as you move ahead in your journey and reminisce upon the lessons youโve learned so far.
6. Get in Front of Your Problems.
While the ability to trust the universe allows you to have a whole new perspective on things, it also teaches you to get in front of your problems instead of letting them weigh you down.
Once you recognize the temporariness of your problems and remind yourself of the fact that everything you face is a lesson in disguise put in your path by the universe, it becomes easy for you to gain a positive outlook and add on to the list of lessons that life, and the universe as a whole, has taught you.
It also allows a clear and calm way of dealing with situations instead of letting your emotions get the best of you.
7. Seek Your Purpose.
Every living being in this universe has its own purpose. Some have figured it out already; some are on the journey of finding out what it is for them, while others are still grasping what the concept of oneโs purpose truly means.
It can be difficult to figure it out, while it may just be blissful ignorance for some. However, what remains true is that leading a life knowing what your purpose is to give you a feeling of fulfillment because you know what you are here for, and you know that you are doing what your part is in this vast universe.
This eventually helps you understand the value of your existence in this universe and why it is important to trust the universe to unfold your journey.
8. Practice Mindfulness.
To find the kind of peace of mind required to gain a clear perspective and calmness even when you are in the middle of an adverse situation, practicing mindfulness is an essential step.
The sense of calmness gained after a few minutes of mindful meditation or a simple act of paying attention to your breath can allow you to learn to stay in the moment, avoid getting carried away, and keep a stable mind.
A few simple ways of practicing mindfulness are:
- daily meditation, which does not have to be any more than just a few minutes in a day;
- observing your breath in moments when you are idle;
- breathing practices, which are often timed and work on relaxing your mind and your body;
- intentionally focusing your attention towards the activity, you have at hand so that eventually it becomes a habit for your mind not to get easily distracted;
- keeping a journalย so that you can learn how to observe your emotions and feelings;
- doing more of what you love and getting lost in the process of doing it;
- taking breaks between a lot of work or even between the activities involved in your routine.
Not only does having the ability to trust the universe allow you to live in a liberating manner by letting go of the unnecessary want to have everything under your control at all times, but it also allows you to realize what is holding you back from growing as an individual and work on becoming a better version of who you are. Therefore, it is essential to trust the universe and notice when it responds to the faith that you place in it.
Often noticing these responses helps you realize that if you have chosen to trust the universe and it has brought you this far in life, through tough times, it will most definitely not leave you alone and stuck in the current difficulties that you find yourself in.
There have been a lot of extraordinary people who have spoken about why exactly it is so important for one to trust the universe, and among them is the late Alan Watts: a British writer and speaker most known for interpreting and increasing the outreach of Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for a Western audience. He spoke about the intricacies and value of what it means to trust the universe.
โThe principle of unity, of coming to a sense of oneness with the whole of the rest of the universe, is not to try to obtain power over the rest of the universe. That will only disturb it, and antagonize it, and make it seem less one with you than ever.
The way to become one with the universe is to trust it, as you would another, and say โletโs see what youโre going to doโ. But in doing that, you see, in saying that to everything else you have been taught to think is not you, you are also saying it to yourself. Because finally, you do not know where your decisions come from.โย โ Alan Watts
As said by Alan Watts, to trust the universe is, in fact, to find unity between it and yourself and, therefore, to place that trust in yourself: your intuitions, your higher self, the person that you are, and have the capability to become.
It is only when you realize your place in this world, in the vast universe that we exist in, that you become more aware of all that there is to be grateful for and the little things that you tend to look over in your busy, mundane lifestyle.
While humanity has developed over centuries and millennia, its advances have also somewhat caused it to drift apart from its environment and the nature that has accompanied it: all the things that remain constant while everything else changes.
To trust the universe, to become one with it, to realize that you are here for a reason, is to stay grounded. Once you learn to show gratitude for the little things you tend to get habituated to, you begin to find joy in them and even greater happiness in the bigger achievements and milestones you cross.
The entire experience of life becomes enhanced in a way that allows you to truly appreciate and be thankful for all that you have, all that you have been through, the person you have become, and to look forward to what tomorrow and the future has in store for you.
Last Updated on by Sathi