As you can tell from the title of this article, I’m a HUGE fan of “The Princess Bride.” Kind of had to be, growing up in my house. I’m pretty sure we were watching that movie every year (possibly several times a year) since I was two, but I digress. The reason I used that famous line is because I have always been more like Max- a little suspicious of all of this “new-age” spirituality. What do you mean you can just ask for what you want and get it? Are you seriously expecting me to believe that all of the circumstances in my life are my own fault? That I can just open my eyes one day and I’ll see different things?
So I ignored that stuff. You see, I was (and am) very against organized religion. As far as I knew, this was just another cult trying to get me to join and I was having none of it. My friends would mention it occasionally or it would pop up in whatever book I was reading- seriously, even Patti Stanger mentioned it in her “Be Your Own Matchmaker” book. It started to creep into my head.
The first time I tried it, I was single. I had been going out on dates but nobody was sticking (nor did I like them enough to go out with them again). I knew that this time around, I wanted someone who made me so excited I couldn’t stand it. My best friend. My soulmate. I went to bed and said, “Okay universe, I’m ready to meet my soulmate.” I started pretending I was already engaged- wearing a ring to bed and scrolling Pinterest for wedding dresses.
I met my current boyfriend maybe a month later. He is my best friend. He makes me so excited I can’t stand it. I’m relatively certain we are the same person (in fact we joke about that a lot when we send each other texts at exactly the same time about exactly the same thing).
Anyway, then I forgot about whole “ask the universe for stuff thing” because life was pretty awesome. I had just started my own firm, I was constantly coming up with new ideas for businesses, I was working out and getting in shape. I was (and am) still living at home though. I wanted desperately to move out. I kept saying, “I can’t wait until I get my own place.” I was very waffly about where it would be though. Waffly about the whole thing, really.
Flash to now and for some reason I started reading actual books about this universe woo-woo stuff. I had read “You Are a Badass” before, but I suppose I wasn’t ready to receive the information. I read it again and it blew my mind. I read Gabrielle Bernstein books. I just wanted more. I read “You Are a Badass” again. I really zeroed in on what I want and wrote it down like it was already happening. At the end of that book, there are suggestions for more books.
That’s how I stumbled upon Pam Grout and began to read “E-Squared.” This was last night, btw. So I’m reading Pam’s book and she is really funny and also very good at making complicated things seem simple but not dumbed down. I’m actually starting to really, really understand the concept that everything is connected and we can ask for what we want and the Universe doesn’t judge us, etc.
If you haven’t read “E-Squared”- the basic premise is that Pam is taking this concept that so many people (including myself) are cynical about and turning it into a series of science experiments meant to prove that it is real. The inner lawyer and cynic in me was thrilled to find this book. The first experiment involves asking the Universe to send you an “unexpected gift or blessing” within 48 hours and to give you guidance to recognize it as such. To make the experiment valid, you write down the exact time you are asking. Then you wait.
I should say that about a week ago, per Gabrielle Bernstein’s book, I asked the Universe for a sign. I decided my sign was going to be a ladybug. I told the Universe I wanted to see it by Friday. Nothing. Zilch. A big fat zero. I was disappointed.
I decided to try Pam’s experiment and see what happened. Pam strongly emphasizes that you need to have fun and that sometimes the Universe can be kind of tongue-in-cheek when it responds. So this morning, I said jokingly out loud, “Hey remember! You only have less than 48 hours to send me an unexpected gift or blessing!”
I went downstairs to get coffee. I opened the silverware drawer to get a spoon to stir my coffee. Keep in mind I do this every freaking day. Have done so for about 10 years. I look down and I see this odd writing on a black button-y thing. I pick it up and there’s a ladybug on the other side of it. I laughed but also was like, “Holy shit!”. Then I said to the Universe, “Okay, that was pretty cool, but give me guidance that that was my gift or blessing.” Now, in Pam’s book, other people had said they saw funny messages that conveyed that what they experienced was their gift or blessing. So I was prepared to see that. Instead, I’m drinking my coffee, and I happen to glance over at one of our kitchen cubbies and I see this red thing…oh fuck, it’s another ladybug. Was that even there before? Surely I would have seen that last week when I was actually looking for a ladybug. Mind officially blown. The rational side of me keeps saying- you were just looking for a sign so you saw it. The little kid side of me is like, “No way man! Those weren’t there last week!”
In any case, I’ll be trying another experiment tonight. So what’s my point? Where have I landed on this whole “miracle” thing. I think I’m now more like Inigo Montoya. Remember how he kept asking his father for guidance? “Father show me where the entrance is,” etc. I’m at that point now. I can’t wait to see more miracles.
