Is the Universe your Lover or your Enemy?

One of the reasons I really appreciate working with youth is their perspective. Generally, they are less bogged down with doubts than the average adult. When they have a big idea they skip the "Nah, that would never work" thought and jump right into "Yeah, let's try it!"  Ofcourse, sometimes this leads to failures that they learn from, but many times this attitude leads to successes that surprise the adults around them.

Some would call this perspective naivety..but I believe there's more to it. I believe it all boils down to trust. When we are born, we trust the world. Have you ever noticed that babies and young children can grow to love a stranger in a matter of minutes? Why is this? It's because they aren't bogged down with fear. They generally trust the world and those in it to be on their side. As children grow up, they learn about 'good' and 'bad' and about risks and fear. Sure, it's important to learn not to touch a hot element or to look both ways before crossing a street, but it's also important not to frame life around these fears and restrictions.

I think we can learn a thing or two from ourselves by remembering back to when we were young and innocent. I often ask myself: "What would little Karen do?" I find this helps me to act from a place without fear and usually without the "buts" that accompany fear.

For me, the biggest test of the universe's friendship happened a few years ago when I left my safety net behind and took the biggest risk of my life...and the universe looked after me..despite all the 'buts' that ran through my mind before I took the plunge. From this experience, I was reminded: Things will work out! The universe is on your side!

 If we trust that life is on our side..that things will work out, then life suddenly becomes easier, more fluid, and more fun! Opportunities open up and things fall into place..amazingly this all happens when we let go of our need to control our situations, our environments, our relationships, and our lives.

If we don't trust life, if we automatically assume the worst, then we feel we must keep things in control, be on the look out, protect ourselves and those we love (or protect ourselves against the risks of loving others). This is an incredibly stressful and tiring way to live and with this mind-frame, we may miss opportunities that are dancing infront of us.

Here's the good news: your perspective is under YOUR control. No one else's. So you get to choose: Is the universe your lover or your enemy?