Have you ever had one of those days where everywhere you looked, you think you saw a sign, but just not sure? If you slowdown and live in that miraculous space of connection, your signs will show up and teach you the lesson you’re supposed to learn.

Here Come Those Signs Again

As I started my walk, I headed out on an earlier time than normal. Instead of avoiding the morning rush of parents driving their children to school, I was right in the thick of it. It’s funny how it didn’t bother me today. A strong feeling came over me. My thoughts took me back in time when my dad would drive me to high school. It must have been when I was a senior, since my older brother or sister weren’t present in the car. When he drove me to school, there was a strong bond between us even though he was one to keep his emotions to himself. If I think about it, his feelings were being morphed with mine. Nothing had to be said. I recall getting up enough nerve to reach over and kiss him goodbye. It didn’t happen at every drop off, but when it did happen, it made my day open up.

Isn’t it crazy how our minds work? If we’re smart enough to pause and crack our door a bit, it’s amazing what is waiting for us to experience. Look at how this all progressed. As I started my day announcing that I would write with my plan to work on my new Empty Nesters book chapters, the universe had other plans. Like Churchill said, “Planning is essential but plans are useless.” The universe certainly had another agenda in mind. This walk was going to unveil the true lesson I was to learn.

The Signs are Answering Your Question

Walking the overpass of the freeway, it hit hard. Only last year I was feeling stuck in my job and knew in my heart I was up for big changes. Asking to have the same money to pay bills but giving me more time during the week to focus on my writing was answered. The universe pretty much pushed me (hard) out of my job and laid out others giving me the precious time for my writing.

Everything that happened and the way in which others acted was for me to move toward the right direction quicker. If we can just keep that thought in mind as we move through the adversity, we would see that it is only happening in order to move us onto the right path. Inadvertently, these happening were necessary actions to carry me towards my path of writing to help others.

The Signs Show Synchronicity

As I was experiencing the flashback kissing my dad goodbye, I noticed a maple leaf in the shape of a heart. Right away the debating side of my brain questions my thoughts of synchronicity. The leaf was in the shape of a heart.  I walked more and now my brain is debating, “Is it a coincidence?” Just because I was thinking about how hard it was to show my dad my love wasn’t any big significance, or was it? My brain started the debate that the leaf would have been there anyway. In actuality, I needed to notice that it was there for me, for this moment from him, hoping I’d see it. During my brain debate, I see a pebble in the shape of a heart and my friend’s voice echoes, “You can’t make this shit up!”  That’s him saying, “Hello?!” This is not a coincidence.

Continuing on my walk, my brain helps me remember it’s the day of my friend’s dad’s memorial that I planned on attending. The synchronicity of it all is so apparent that I simply don’t fight it and ride the flow. There was my sign from my dad who passed just a few years earlier with his message for me. Even though I didn’t find out about his death in the nicest of ways and there was no memorial for my dad, he was coming through to let me know he would be there. Simple and to the point, that was how my dad operated.

The Signs Help Us Notice Our Purpose

As I walked my favorite route to peek at the ocean, I noticed how great my body and mind felt simply from going with the flow of all these thoughts and signs. I realized my new schedule was given to me to help others. Writing is hard for some and was hard for me as a youngster, however as I progressed in college, I saw how my writing came with flow. Now, I know in my heart what I’ve been given as a gift, not to hoard, but to share & help.

All this made me realize these ideas I receive are to share with others. That’s my gift. Not only being given the gift of raising children with a passion, but to share the knowledge with others. Not only receiving these downloads of my signs, but to share it with others who may be wondering what’s going on with them and their strange thoughts like me.

Connect to See the Signs

After receiving signs and thinking about their significance, I’ve realized that I don’t always see them until I take the time to stop and slow down. I catch myself stepping back to breathe and connect with the universe and realize that I haven’t noticed any signs. It usually means I haven’t been spending time connecting. I recognize that I need to be more in the world and not of it. When I take the time to be in the world, I see the other signs and everything else shows up. As I walked home from my walk, it occurred to me that it’s been a while since seeing my dad’s bird. This bird is the Black Phoebe of Southern California. Even though I’ve been living in this area for almost 30 years, I’ve had a new relationship with them.

The day my dad passed, a Black Phoebe sat on my fence in front of my window all day. It’s funny how they look like they have a crew cut because that’s how my dad always wore his hair ever since he was in the army. Since then, whenever I think of him, there’s the Phoebe. It’s funny how they are usually sitting on a branch ready to swoop down over a pond or lake to snatch up an insect. However, I live in a condominium area without a pond or lake. Of course, since my whole walk was thinking and reminiscing about my dad, there were Black Phoebes perched everywhere. As I opened my door, I realized I forgot to take a picture of the heart leaf. I was ok with it, however my lesson wasn’t over. The universe had one more sign for me.

Signs Come Along with Lessons

As I opened my door, I realized I forgot to take a picture of the heart leaf. I was ok with it, however the universe had one more sign for me. Because of the enormous pull to go back, find the photo, and take a photo of the heart, I took off my sneakers and grabbed my keys. I drove back to the spot where I first noticed the leaf. I parked near the local doggie daycare and walked toward the edge of the main road listening to the dogs barking up a storm. I wasn’t sure if I would find the leaf, but there it was. Walking back, I realized it wasn’t about getting the photo but learning to simply send my love through my thoughts towards the dogs’ hearts. I know, it sounds crazy to me as I type this, but it’s the honest truth. As I walked back to the car, they were barking as if there was an attacker approaching. However, as soon as I put Matt Kahn’s advice into motion, the barking stopped.

Lesson to Send Love

 What I did was send loving thoughts to them. In my mind, I offered love to their hearts from mine repeating to myself that I wasn’t there to harm them. Instantaneously, the barking completely ceased. It made me smile in wonderment. As I sent it out wishing they would feel my love and not having to fear my presence, it immediately became quiet. 80% of the dog barks stopped with the last 20% turning into whimpers wanting to be petted and feeling sad from missing their owners. I thought maybe they wanted to be with me because they sensed love. They felt what I sent out to them. Wow, what a realization that this is how it works with other human beings. Even if those in my family have let go of me, I can still send them my love. Even if friends have taken different paths that no longer include me, I can still send them my love.

Being Opened for the Signs

Connecting with our signs is something that has to be accomplished through our realization of our where we are putting our thoughts. Martin Buber, a Jewish philosopher, believed one encounters God through one’s encounters with other human beings and the world. “Meet the world with the fullness of your being and you shall meet God.” When one encounters the world in this way, revelation occurs. “God speaks to man in the things and beings he sends him in life,” Buber wrote. “Man answers through his dealings with these things and beings.” My guides, angels, and those who left before me are present when I take the time to slow down. It really is that simple. It is that simple to stop in my tracks and connect with my heart, it is that simple to see and hear the messages I’m supposed to experience, and it is that simple to share the love in my heart with everyone.