Let the Universe Cook

One of the most liberating mindset shifts I’ve undergone in the last few years is that I’ve adopted an ‘everything will work itself out’ attitude in many aspects of my life. 

And that’s not something I just say to reassure myself—it’s genuinely something that I feel in my bones (most of the time, anyway).

I can’t pinpoint exactly where it came from (it’s probably a mix of my growing interest in spirituality and higher self-confidence), but it’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders. 

I’m at a phase in my life that has been characterized by a lot of change. Last year, I quit my cushy job. Six months ago, my partner and I ended things. And I’m now considering going back to school. 

But all of those things have felt less daunting than I would’ve expected. I trust the path that the universe has set out for me and know that if I keep listening to my mind and body (as I have been in the months since my break-up) my feet will find the way.

This belief came up recently with a friend of my Mum’s that I met for the first time. Upon hearing that I plan on going back to school to shift career paths, she started on the following line of questioning: “Do you mind if I’m blunt for a minute? What if AI ends up taking the kinds of jobs you want? Which companies do you envision yourself working at? What are you planning to do when you finish this degree?”

Her tone was light and I could tell she just cared about my well-being and success. But the interrogation made me laugh a little. 

Why? Because none of those fears or concerns have crossed my mind. Not because I’m naive or going in blindly but because I know that I cannot plan that far ahead. As long as my decisions at this moment feel right, I am confident that I’m doing the right thing. Everything else will unfold as it unfolds, and any previously thought-out plans—however meticulous—will be overturned. 

Truthfully, though in work and success the ‘let the universe cook’ mentality has come relatively naturally to me, I find it harder when it comes to romantic relationships. I still have the gut ‘knowing’ that everything will work out in the end, but the bumps along my journey with love remain harder to stomach than those on my professional one. 

I am, however, getting better at it. Writing down affirmations and meditations anchored by soothing mantras are helping. 

So, while I may not be 100% there yet on all fronts, I know it’s possible. Sometimes, it just takes a little extra reminding—from myself and from people I love.