What a coincidence! “I was just thinking of you when the phone rang…we must have ESP”. Have you ever been thinking about someone you haven’t seen or thought of in years and suddenly they show up? Most of us have experienced this phenomenon at least once in our lives.

So is it just coincidence or something more? I like to think that these experiences, also known as “Godwinks”, “Synchronicity”, or an “Answered Prayer” are the universe giving us a sign that we are on the right path, we’re doing ok and that someone is watching over us and giving us the validation we crave.

Squire Rushness, author of “When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life”, coined the phrase “godwink” and defines it as:  “A personal signal or message directly from a higher power, usually but not always, in the form of a coincidence.”

Rushness states:

In times of UNCERTAINTY what we desire more than anything else is CERTAINTY. Certainty that our families are safe. Certainty that we won't get downsized or that we'll have enough in the checkbook to make it through the month. We crave certainty when we get a scary medical report. And we long for certainty in our relationships.

It's during times of uncertainty that we especially need to get connected to our faith. We need to believe that our lives are not random like twigs floating on a stream to destinations unknown. Instead, we need to know that we all have a greater purpose; that someone really is up there watching over us and we're always on an incredible GPS...what I call God's Positioning System™...never alone. To me, the best thing about godwinks is that they are TANGIBLE SIGNPOSTS along our way, giving us hope, replacing uncertainty with a genuine feeling of CERTAINTY that everything is going to be okay!

 

As I reflect back on my life, I can think of several times when I was faced with making a decision that would bring my life in a new direction. I was desperate for someone to give me the answer, to make the decision for me. I would put my question out in the universe and ask for a sign to reassure me I was making the right decision. Oftentimes I would get one, in the form of a bizarre coincidence. You have to really pay attention because you will get an answer. Sometimes they are subtle and sometimes very obvious. Even with the obvious ones, it’s so easy to say “nah, that was just a random coincidence”. But was it?

Let me give you a recent example. Last June I enrolled in the Martha Beck Life Coach training program. I believe my true calling and life purpose is to help other people navigate their life’s journey by using their own inner wisdom. While I inherently know this is the right path for me, it’s not an easy road, there are many obstacles I need to overcome to make a career as a Life Coach.  I usually take a few breaks during my normal work day and go for a quick walk around the block to clear my mind and get a little exercise. One morning I asked the universe for a sign to validate I am on the right path. I wanted to be specific enough so I could be sure it was real. I asked to find a penny while on my daily walk that day. Little did I know it was going to rain all day so I wasn’t able to walk. Honestly I completely forgot about my request. That evening I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed and this just jumped right out at me:
























My heart started beating really fast. I just got a god wink!! I hadn’t seen that posting on facebook before that day and haven’t seen it since, only on the very day I made a request to find a penny. Wow!

The next day I started to question it all again, so I asked to see a dragonfly on my daily walk. Sure enough, two blue dragonflies flew right in front of me.

God winks at you too! You may find the right job suddenly falls in your lap, or the perfect partner shows up through unexpected events just when you have given up on dating. Or suddenly you come into some unexpected money just when you need it most.

I would love to hear your stories, tell me about your God winks…please share them here or on my facebook page.

Ever have a song that just keeps playing in the background of your mind? Not the kind that annoys the crap out of you because you can’t get it out of your head after you heard it on the radio. I’m talking about lyrics streaming somewhat unconsciously behind all the other chaos in your head. You almost have to quiet the mind to even notice it’s there.

For the last two days, “Waiting for the World to Change” by John Mayer has been playing quietly, almost unnoticeably in the background of my mind. 

When I need to hear a message, it sometimes comes to me in the form of a song. I usually wake up singing it…completely unaware of its origin or arrival.

As the day goes on it might slowly creep into my awareness and I’ll think “where did this song come from?". As I continue about my business I'll realize it’s been there, playing over and over again. Then it will get louder; I will start paying attention. Almost always there is something significant between the song and what’s happening in my life. That’s when I’ll look up the lyrics:

Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer

Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing
And there's no way we ever could

Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it

So we keep waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

It's hard to beat the system
When we're standing at a distance
So we keep waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on their door

And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information
Oh, they can bend it all they want

That's why we're waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

It's not that we don't care
We just know that the fight ain't fair
So we keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

And we're still waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change

No, we keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
(Waiting)
Waiting on the world to change
Waiting on the world to change
Waiting on the world to change
Waiting on the world to change

With the terrorist attack in France yesterday, it’s no surprise my brain picked this song. There is a lot of conflict and tragedy in the world, and it can feel overwhelming. It makes my heart sad. But “the world” can also mean my own personal world. Things have been crazy at work. I’ve only been with my company of 20 employees for five months, but during that time they have let six people go. I keep waiting for things to change. Hmmmmmmm.

As Mahatma Gandhi said – “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”

Message received. How do you receive messages? And are you listening? Pay attention people, pay attention.