photo: hobvias sudoneighm on flickr
Yes, that’s what I said.
There’s an opinion about you that’s even more important than your own.
More important than liking how you look in the morning. More important than feeling good about your accomplishments on the job. More important than your pride about your skills and traits and talents.
Whose opinion could possibly be more important than all that?
The Universe’s opinion of you.
And you know what the Universe thinks?
The Universe thinks you’re awesome.
So awesome, It gave you life. So awesome, you have freedom to choose all kinds of things, every day – how you’re going to feel, what you’re going to think, how you’re going to react to those around you.
If you want to get totally jiggy with it, you can start choosing even bigger things: what you want to do with your life, where you want to live, what you want relationships to look like.
And it all starts with one view:
That you are absolutely, unconditionally adored by Life itself.
photo: Vernon Fowler on flickr
Does it get any better than that? No, it does not.
Don’t get me wrong, good self-esteem is important. But if your self-esteem is not based on the basic fact that you’re adored by the Universe, then it can get corrupted by your human mind.
The human mind likes to judge and compare. Once the judgin’ and comparin’ aspect of the mind gets activated, you can find yourself slipping into the BTs and WTs: Better than’s and Worse than’s.
I look good, better than her.
I look like crap, worse than him.
The Universe never falls into the BT/WT trap. The Universe thinks you always look awesome. Just because. No comparison necessary.
Okay, maybe you need to comb your hair and brush your teeth. Maybe you could afford to lose a few pounds. But you are a living manifestation of the Energy that makes worlds, the Energy that births stars and planets.
photo: Raven Vasquez on flickr
That’s a miracle, and the Universe never loses sight of that fact.
But we do.
That’s why spiritual practice is so important. Because it helps us get back in line with the Universe’s view.
One of my spiritual practices is hanging out with others in spiritual community. It’s a great way to get out of my limited thinking and dive into a big ol’ pool of Love and Unlimited Joy.
One morning a few years ago, I was at a morning service at the Center for Spiritual Living Santa Rosa. I was sitting there, listening to the speaker, but not really listening at all.
Instead, my mind was gnawing on some toxic bone. I can’t even remember what it was. But the general meaning was a fairly negative opinion about myself. Something like this: You suck.
Actually, it was more like this: Yousuckyousuckyousuckyousuckyousuckyousuckyousuckyousuck.
photo: Alex Proimos on flickr
There I was, surrounded by all these wonderful people, listening to an awesome talk, and my mind was on a roll.
But not for long.
Right in the middle of my mind’s little rant, I heard another voice:
The Divine thinks you’re awesome.
Even though I still was trapped in yousuck-itis, I knew the other voice was right.
The Divine thinks I rock. The Divine loves everything about me. I couldn’t deny it. Indeed, the Divine had just interrupted my mind’s little pity party to remind me that no matter what, It loves me unconditionally.
When I’m in alignment with this view, I don’t play the “Better Than/Worse Than” game. After all, the Divine loves everyone else just as much as It loves me. And the more I tap into the Divine’s view of me, the more I’m able to tap into this view of everyone else as well.
photo: George Mason University on flickr
What’s most interesting to me about my little story was where and when the Divine chose to speak to me. I was at my spiritual Center. The place I go to get spiritually refueled.
I’m not saying that you have to go to a spiritual Center to start having the Universe tell you that you’re awesome. I’m only saying it’s one of the ways that works for me.
Other ways – for me – are meditation, affirmations, prayer, exercise, time in nature and a gratitude practice.
But yours might be wearing a tiara and a tutu and playing rock guitar along with old Led Zeppelin records.
All you have to do to receive a Divine opinion of yourself is to put yourself into situations where you’re most likely to hear it.
And that’s different for every single one of us.
Which is yet another thing the Divine loves about you:
You have your own, unique way of connecting with the Life force that creates planets and stars and you.
So bust out that tutu and start receiving the Love!!
photo: Patty on flickr
How do you put yourself in alignment with the Universe’s opinion of you? Share your comments below!
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Hi Z,
I have one question – what is the “BT/WT game”? I have a feeling I play it without even knowing what it is.
Right now I am in a new relationship – that tenuous spot where it feels so right but it could easily go the other way – and I find myself, just this morning, looking at his need for space as an opinion of me. My ego/loud inner critic is going nuts trying to protect me from an imagined hurt. So there is only two ways out for me to get me in alignment with how Source sees me.
One way for me to get back to where I belong is singing or just toning. This will either bring on the tears for healing or let go the fears for joy making. I feel so alive when I sing. The other is to do something creative that gets me to being in the now – where I am so absorbed in the process of living that nothing else matters. For me this is often something artistic like drawing or painting or writing poetry.
I hope this helps others. It helped me just to write it out and remind my ego that it doesn’t have to be bruised by my opinion or anyone else’s because Source’s opinion of me is all that matters.
Thanks for the reminder. It was really Divinely timed!
Bright Blessings,
River
Hi River,
It’s the “Better Than/Worse Than” game – I edited the post to clarify it! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your process! In my relationship with Melissa, I’m the one who needs LOTS of space. And from that perspective, I can say that my need for space has nothing to do with anyone else but me. That said, I also totally know what it’s like to have the inner critic bust in and have its own view of the situation, which, although I KNOW it’s a distortion of the truth, can still trip me up. So I love the ways that you have to get back into alignment with how awesome you are!
XOXOXOXOZ
great reminder, Z! I like the way you talked about this. Way to talk about God without saying the word, God! BTW, if there’s anyone reading who doesn’t like the word, God, just ignore this comment. I don’t know what I’m talking about. There’s no way the Universe, and Life are synonymous with God! I mean, that’s just silly, right?
SMiiiiiiiiiiiLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEE!
Sara,
God! What a great comment! I mean, really – my God! Stellar. God! 🙂
XOZ
Hi Z,
What a great photo for ‘you suck’, the statues pose shows us the thought process has been going on for a very long time now. It wouldn’t surprise me if we find drawings on cave walls with the same stance. (Although in the past, I have always thought of it as “I can’t believe I just did that!”.
I have come to realize I have to monitor my own thought patterns. When I am unhappy and tune into what trash is moving around in my brain I find a lot of negative thinking. I now know I can stop it by simply forcing myself to start thanking God and go through all the things I have to be thankful for. Then I look about and locate something, a cloud, a leaf, even at one time a pile of poop. LOL. Then I start thinking “There is no place that God is not.” And as I start really thinking about what is it takes to make that leaf or even, yes, that pile of poop. The awesomeness of the Universe surrounding us lifts me up with the magic and wonder of it all. After all, even the pile of poop has life in it and is part of the cycle of life. It enriches the ground on which it lands and nourishes the plants that draw their life from the soil. And just think how those plants would be poorer without that pile of enriching poop.
And Z, as far as I am concerned the only time I think you should apply “you suck” to yourself is when you are getting a drink through a straw. You are Awesome and Amazing!
PS. Where do I get one of those Tutus? LOL.
Many Blessings & Hugs,
Marlene
Hi Marlene!
Those tutus really rock, don’t they?! When I find one, I’ll let you know! 😉
I agree with you that gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to get back into alignment with the Divine. And I have to say: if you’re someone who can be grateful for poop, you are clearly a highly evolved soul! 🙂
XOZ
hi z,
your blog got me right out of my current bout of yousuck-itis.
blessings oh fabulous funny one,i adore you !!!!
laurie
Hi Laurie!
Yay! Another person free of yousuck-itis!! My work here is done. 🙂
XOZ
Haha — what a rollicking, wonderful post, Z. (Nothin’ new about that.)
I put myself in alignment with the Universe’s extremely high opinion of me by, like you, hanging out in a community of like-minded folks. For me, it’s the Abraham Fun group on Facebook. It ever takes me out of yousuck moments and replaces them with “You rock and it’s not even up for discussion.”
And then there’s my beau, nature, family, and of course, the two gurus-with-tails that I keep on staff at my abode.
And your blog posts are part of my alignment, too. I love funny, and you do it so well.
Hi Karen,
Your comment put me right in the vortex – thank you for that!!
I love this: “You rock, and it’s not even up for discussion.” Yess!! It’s the “discussion” part that gets me in trouble sometimes. But there is no discussion. Not necessary! Thank you for that too! 🙂
Say hello to the gurus!
XOZ
Another good post. I’m going to have to bookmark this blog.
I get lost in negative thought cycles too much lately. I used to be able to pull myself out and be awesome, but it’s gotten harder lately. I need to work on it more. It actually brought me a little bit of feel-good when reading this. I started thinking “I AM awesome! The universe made me that way and I just need to remember it.” Self doubt is me letting the universe down. Ome loves me and thinks I’m capable of anything and everything, and all the tools I need to prove that true are already being provided to me.
Hi Briana,
Yes!! You are awesome!! I am currently reading a book called You Are A Badass. It’s been a wonderful reminder for me that every single one of us is a rock star. The more I can remember that, the happier I am – and the more I like other people as well. They’re all rock stars too.
I love when you said: “Self doubt is me letting the universe down.” Wow! That’s awesome. (See? Proof of your awesomeness!) So thank you for that! 🙂
XOZ
Ooooo Z pretty please announce that publishing date! I want one!!!!
Bows to the author,
River
OOPS blush..I thought you said you were writing it. Well maybe you are about to write a book and I got to be the messenger!
Rivers occasionally need to slow down.
Hi River!
I am reading the book “You Are a Badass.” I would love to say that I am the author of a book with such an awesome title, but that is not the case. I might do a Life in Z-D book one of these days – a compilation of posts from here. And Melissa and I want to write a book together. So that is what’s in the book aura circling around me head! 🙂
XOZ