I want to talk to you about the guides the Universe puts into your life and how your mindset can help you recognize them so you can keep moving forward in the right direction.
But what is a guide?
It’s easy to think of a mentor or teacher as being a guide, but guides come in many forms. Some you may not even expect.
A guide could be the stranger whose kind words shift your perspective, a coincidence too perfect to ignore, or even a gut feeling pulling you in a certain direction.
The tricky thing about guides is that they don’t always announce themselves. And your mindset and energy determine the guides you attract and the wisdom you follow.
But once you learn how to recognize the guides that cross your path, you’ll start to notice how they gently steer you toward the opportunities, insights, and growth you need most.
Recognizing Your Guides
Recognizing your guides requires awareness, trust, and a willingness to look beyond the obvious. They can show up in unexpected ways, often when you need them most, but only if you’re open to seeing them.
Here are five ways to start noticing the guides the Universe places in your life…
- Notice the Subtle Patterns Around You
Guides don’t always make grand entrances. They often show up as subtle moments or repeating patterns. Maybe it’s a recurring thought, a piece of advice you keep hearing, or a string of coincidences. These may not be random and could be the Universe’s way of directing your attention.Your brain is naturally wired to recognize patterns. You know this by now because we’ve discussed it in previous emails. But those repeating moments or feelings often hold meaning if you’re willing to pause and reflect. Instead of brushing them off, ask yourself, What could this be pointing me toward? These patterns are often nudges, guiding you toward clarity and growth.
- Pay Attention to Unexpected People
Guidance doesn’t always come from obvious places. Sometimes it can be as easy to miss as an offhand comment from a coworker, or even a brief encounter that sticks with you. These seemingly small moments can shift your perspective in ways you didn’t anticipate.Or guidance can come from people you seek out. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that mentors can significantly amplify growth. This could be a mentor in business, in school, or making changes in your personal life. Even the most intelligent and successful people have mentors, learning from those who are a step or two ahead of them on the ladder.
- Look for Synchronicity
Have you ever thought about someone, only for them to call you minutes later? Or had a chance encounter with a new person who seemed to appear just when you needed them most? These are moments of synchronicity, which are meaningful coincidences that feel like more than chance.Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, described synchronicity as the Universe aligning with your energy. Whether it’s meeting someone by chance or having the perfect opportunity fall into your lap, these moments act like breadcrumbs, gently guiding you toward what’s meant for you.
Try to hold the mindset that every new person you meet could be part of an intentional design. Maybe they’re there to help you, or maybe there’s something you can offer them. Whether you believe it’s by design or not, having a mindset of openness allows you to stay receptive and create space for the magic of synchronicity to unfold.
- Tune into Your Intuition
Don’t discount yourself as your own guide. That sudden sense of clarity, or an unexplainable gut feeling is your intuition speaking. A study from Cornell University found that the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day, most of them on a subconscious level. While your brain is processing information subconsciously, it’s providing you with insights you might not consciously understand but instinctively feel.To connect with your intuition, create space for stillness. Whether it’s journaling, meditating, being in nature, or just pausing to reflect, these moments of quiet allow your inner guide to reveal itself. The more you trust it, the louder and clearer it becomes.
- Notice How Energy Guides Connection
Your energy determines the guidance you receive. When you’re open, optimistic, and focused on growth, you naturally attract people and moments that align with your path. A Stanford study found that people with a positive outlook are 30% more likely to notice opportunities simply because their mindset makes them more receptive.Pay attention to the people or situations that feel magnetic or calming. They’re often signs of alignment. These connections might be exactly the guidance you need to move forward or even an opportunity to share your own wisdom and make an impact on someone else’s journey.
Recognizing your guides is a powerful first step, but it’s not enough to just notice them. Real change happens when you start engaging with that guidance.
Let’s work on putting this into practice…
Action Step
This week, I’d like you to focus on creating the kind of energy that attracts the guidance you need and the awareness to recognize and trust it. Here are three simple steps to get you going in the right direction.
- Set a Daily Intention
Spend a couple of minutes every morning this week to set an intention for the day. It could be as simple as “I’m open to receiving guidance” or “I trust the signs and connections that come my way today.” Setting this intention will align your energy and prime your mind to notice the subtle nudges that are put into your life. - Room for Reflection
Throughout the week, set aside a few minutes each day to reflect on your intentions, feelings, and experiences. Did someone offer you some unexpected, timely advice? Did a co-worker who just started working with you offer to teach you a skill you don’t know? Maybe you “randomly” met a new person that you would have otherwise brushed off as just a daily interaction but now you see that person could play a meaningful role in your journey.Dig deep and reflect. Reflection could help you connect the dots and see where guidance is showing up.
- Take One Small Action
Guidance often calls for action. A guide in your life can point you in the right direction, but it’s still up to you to take the next step. At the end of the week, reflect on one thing you’ve noticed. Based on what you’ve observed, take a small but meaningful step forward.This might mean sending an email, making a call, or exploring an idea further. Remember, a guide may not always recognize themselves as such, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. There’s something powerful about telling someone you believe they’ve been placed on your path for a reason. Chances are, they’ll be more than willing to support you.
Try to keep a positive and open mind this week.
When your mindset is aligned and your energy is clear, you’ll find the right people and opportunities flowing toward you. But if your energy is cluttered, full of doubt, fear, or resistance, you might miss the signs completely.
Life is a team sport. Not only will it be a lot more fun to play, but you’ll also learn from others and experience exponential growth if you shift your perspective to recognize that the help you need is already there.
