woman with arms crossed over her head listening to messages from the environmentIf we find ourselves hanging onto to people, objects, goals, and other ways of being, we may have stepped into resistance to change. While in that space of resistance, there may be subtle or sometimes not so subtle messages in our environment that give us the nudge to shift.

Do you see or hear those messages and if yes, do you heed them and do something about them?

A few months ago, I signed up to attend an event where the topic was of interest. On the day of the event, I had a household situation that kept me from attending. I then went to the person’s website and signed up for a consultation, only to find they had no availability for 6 weeks. I opted out, and decided to sign up for their next event instead. Lo and behold, on the day of the event, another last minute situation prevented me from joining the event.

In that moment, I realized there were three touchpoints, which together seemed to provide a message. Upon further reflection, I internalized the message and stopped signing up for this person’s events.

Think of something or someone you are holding onto. Consider whether you have received any hints or messages that suggest it is time to let go. Maybe there are opportunities you are putting off while receiving nudges that they are the right thing to pursue. At times, messages can be obvious and at other times very subtle.

Here are some of the ways you might receive those messages.

  • Interference or obstacles to getting something done smoothly (like the above example)
  • Times when you have a strong intuition – a sense which can be either positive or negative
  • Seeing someone who reminds you of another person – a nudge to reconnect
  • Hearing the same information from a number of different people (3 times is my message)
  • Someone starts questioning an idea or comment, and that prompts you to do the same

Think about the ways in which you ignore those messages.

  • You don’t see the connection between the different obstacles and miss the insight they provide
  • You override your intuition (i.e. it must be my imagination)
  • Your skepticism is stronger than the message you are receiving

Consider the areas of life where you might be holding and/or not heeding the messages that come to you in many different ways. Then ask yourself, in what way do I benefit by holding on, ignoring the message, or resisting the opportunity to change?

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