I often hear from people that they feel they are getting “tested” by the Universe.  I don’t sense the Universe or God “tests” us but rather gives us opportunities to integrate our “aha” moments, see how far we’ve come, and apply what we’ve learned.

Awareness is only a percentage of transformation, so we need life experiences to get accurate feedback about how much we’ve truly changed. Potentially triggering situations must arise so we have the opportunity to walk our talk. 

Last week I was gifted with two opportunities to receive feedback and integrate my own transformation in the form of my high school reunion and a speeding ticket.  I share the full stories in today’s vlog.

When I found out my reunion was the exact weekend I was going to be back in Dallas for the book tour, I knew it was not a coincidence. My high school years were definitely not my glory years so going back could have been a triggering situation.  However, I could not ignore the nudge from my intuition to attend.

So I went with an open mind, receptive heart, and absolutely nothing to prove – which was way more important than what I wore (jeans and a T-shirt if you are wondering). And it was rather anti-climactic. Everyone was very nice and I had a great time catching up with people, but there wasn’t some big “aha” moment. Until the next morning . . .

I was in yoga and asking God why I attended and inside I heard, “To see how far you’ve come.” For the past five years, I have been on a journey of becoming an incredible partner to myself by accepting and LOVING my life independent of my relationship status.

Going to the reunion where everyone was married with kids could have been triggering if I had slipped into comparison, shame, or judgment.  But since I have healed my expectation hangovers and therefore did not slip into old patterns, it did not even occur to me that I was different because my life circumstances are different.  The Universe gifted me with this amazing reunion to experience myself as whole, complete, and not defined by any external things.

Often we effectively move through a situation or heal an issue with complete confidence that we learned what we needed to learn.  That may be accurate- you may have learned the lesson and now the Universe is bringing you an amazing opportunity to apply the learning so that you can fully integrate it and witness yourself truly walking your talk.

I was sharing my gratitude for my reunion experience with a friend on my drive from Dallas to Austin last week. In the exact moment that I was commenting on how peaceful I felt, I heard sirens behind me and realized I was being pulled over.  I didn’t realize the speed limit changed and got a ticket.  While it was happening, I had two choices in terms of a reaction: remain peaceful or get upset, mad, argue, cry, negotiate, beat myself up, etc.  I chose the former and saw it as an opportunity to practice peacefulness. I accepted the ticket without any excuses, took a breath, maintained my peace and moved into gratitude that it was just a speeding ticket – something that in the grand scheme of life is no big deal.

It’s easy to feel peaceful when things are calm, but where the rubber really meets the road is if we can maintain that feeling in potentially triggering situations.

We experience true transformation when we . . .

Maintain peacefulness in trying times like tickets and traffic. Focus on gratitude when thoughts of lack appear. Move into acceptance during expectation hangovers. Step into courage in the face of fear. Choose patience when next to a crying baby on an airplane. Apply self-love on a bad hair day. And so on…

The Universe does not test us.  If triggering events arise, it is simply an opportunity to practice what we have learned @christinhassler (Tweet this!). Talking about how to shift an experience is a dress rehearsal, actually being in the experience and shifting your inner and outer response is the performance!

So I’m curious: Where and how is the Universe giving you opportunities to walk your talk, apply what you have learned, and see how far you’ve come? Head over to the comments section on the blog and share.

Love,

Christine

p.s. I have an invitation for you to do some major integration work and not only walk your talk, but step into the full potential of who you are. No more settling. No more playing small.  Join me for my next retreat in Tulum, Mexico: “New Year, BE YOU.” Details here or email jill@christinehassler.com. Space is limited to 16 women.

p.p.s. Have you gotten your copy of Expectation Hangover yet?  The FREE gifts I am offering are still available – lots of awesome content to support you in overcoming disappointment so that you can experience clarity, joy, and inspiration. Go here.