Spooning with the Universe, letting go and accepting help.
“Hello,” said a voice. “This is the Universe.”
With hands trembling I picked up the phone and dialed, hoping to all the gods that one of them had not decided, on this particular day, that today was a good day to take grievous exception to 5G and fry the planet with a solar flare.
But then, if said deity did decide that the 5th of January was well aspected for Ragnarok or Armageddon I wouldn’t have to make the call and we’d all be fucked and that wasn’t, really, what I had in mind.
It was a circular argument. Tightly spiraled, perhaps. Futile in the end, no matter what and…
The phone crackled.
“Hello,” said a voice. “This is the Universe.”
I gulped. I had expected something sonorous, a cavernous depth, maybe even James Earl Jones, but… this sounded like… Well, it sounded like… me.
I stammered.
“Take your time,” said the Universe. “I do, actually, have all day.”
I chuckled a little. It was either that or wet my pants. Asking for help can be terrifying but the Universe, somehow, seemed to know that. And it was okay.
“What took you so long to call?” asked my own voice / The Universe.
“I… uhm…” All of a sudden I had an insight. “Pride. I said. No… maybe not quite pride… but let’s go with that.”
“Hmm,” The Universe mused.
I imagined the Universe stroking its beard. Like the beard I had shaved off just a day before. Would the Universe even have a beard? What if the Universe was a she? Ye Gods, was I being sexist? What if I…?
“Let’s go with pride for now,” said the Universe. “And that’s okay. You’re here now. What do you need?”
I had to reach deep. I mean we’ve been raised to be self-sufficient, independent, experts at everything, right?
Who was I now to reach out for help? I mean it took me decades to learn to stop and ask for directions at a petrol station. And when a man asks for directions he’s essentially admitting he’s not a man, right?
Now, here I was asking the Universe… the frikken UNIVERSE for help.
Sorry, the BLESSED Universe.
“What took you so long to call?” asked my own voice.
“Acceptance means many things. It is incomplete without Allowing and Surrender.”
“Take a deep breath,” said the Universe.
I took a deep breath and a certain calm flowed into me. Like a warm cup of coffee on a winter’s day. It soothed my mind and calmed my beating heart.
Thank said Gods because feeling your heartbeat all the way in your feet is not pleasant.
“I need… help,” I said, in a plaintive voice. A little boy voice. And I was irritated that I had to listen to it because I’m not a child and I cannot admit my own weaknesses, gods-darn it.
“My child,” said the Universe, “It’s already there.”
“Say what now?”
“You just need to learn three more lessons.”
“Three more?”
“The first is to Ask, which you’ve already done, despite nearly wetting your pants, which you aren’t wearing anyway because you’re in bed and you’re naked.”
“You can see me?” My eyes darted around the room, looking for a figure shaped like a Universe. Something with twinkling lights and swirling voids, maybe?
“The next lesson is to Accept my help.”
“I accept,” I said glibly.
“Ah, but you only say you accept. Then you want to do it all yourself anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“Acceptance means many things. It is incomplete without Allowing and Surrender.”
I was reaching for a notebook in the dark. I needed to write this stuff down.
“Forget the notebook,” said the Universe. “You’ll discard what is written on paper, but what is written in experience always remains.”
“Ok,” I sighed, rubbing my chin for a non-existent beard. “So I’ve asked. And I said I accept.”
“Yes, and now you must Allow and Surrender.”
“How does that work?”
“Your friend John wants to fix your car.”
“Yes, but see…”
The Universe cleared its throat. If it had a throat to clear, that is. Now, in addition to wondering if Penguins have knees I’m wondering if the Universe has a throat.
“If you’ve accepted my help you have to allow John to fix your car. And you have to allow your wife to fix the pool.”
“But I’ve been taught that I must fix things myself. And it’s the man who should fix the pool.”
“That’s where you must surrender, my child. You must surrender your preconceived ideas in order to allow me to help you. Only then will your acceptance be true and your request granted. You asked for help so you would have time to do the things that are important to you. Like write this piece. Help was asked. Help was given, but its up to you now to accept, allow and surrender.”
The line went silent. I went silent. I had to because I needed to pick my jaw up from the floor.
It’s tough, isn’t it? To ask for help. Its even tougher to accept that help when you have to allow and surrender.
Fuck yeah.
It’s tough.
But I am learning greatly. If we have the courage to ask, then its only a small, terrifying step to accept, a massive leap to allow and a blood-curdling drop to surrender. But the terror comes from within us. Its our own minds that hold us back.
Changing your life is a massive undertaking because you are fighting yourself instead of letting the Universe help you.
Hypnotherapy has helped me see some of my shortcomings. As a Hypnotherapist I’ve worked through some of my blocks and I’ve toned down the panic. But it’s a process, isn’t it?
May this year be the year we all get out of our own way. May we truly learn to Ask, Accept, Allow and Surrender.
"You must surrender your preconceived ideas in order to allow me to help you."
If any of this has resonated with you, and if you’re yearning to make a change, book a discovery call with me. It’s only about 20 minutes and its free. Maybe 20 minutes could change the next 20 years. Maybe you don’t have to panic to change your life.