Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Does Emerson have it right, that once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen? That may be what appears to happen, but knowing what I know now, after what happened to me in the woods, I know that nothing is separate, and that there is no separate “me” deciding. Innumerable things make everything happen, and in fact, nothing happens without the whole universe making it so.
If you look for a “cause” of you reading this article now, well, did you “decide” to? Were you the “cause”? You saw the headline and it grabbed your attention due to something that already was of interest in your mind. Further backing it up, you got the link some how, via email or social media. If you had not received it, you’d not be reading it. Your eyes, are a cause, being healthy enough. Then there is the internet that is working now, making it possible. And your source of income (or free coffee shop wi-fi), making the internet possible. As well, nothing else distracted you from reading it. You see, the list goes on and on.
It only appears that we make a decision, when in fact, the decision becomes known to us, and mind makes a mental claim after the fact. So the universe was already in motion, making it happen. It did not need a “me” to decide anything.
You may recall that in March “I decided” to stop moonlighting as a print and web publisher, and devote all my efforts and resources to helping people end stress and discover joy. Shortly after that, I received a personal and professional endorsement from Dan Millman, as well as a generous offer of support from a client. All of this and more has “conspired” to put wind under the wings of Alchemy, and it is working. While after the “direct seeing” in the woods I could have done anything, because nothing mattered, it seemed that this is what I was to do. This was what I am best at, this is what is available, happening, and working. Moonlighting was not working.
Watching the universe unfold as a great mystery is much more fun (and far easier) than thinking “I” am the one who has to make decisions and make things happen. With the latter idea, it’s you against the world, rather than you as the world.
Namaste,
Cindy
Comments 4
Hi Cindy! This really helped me! 🙂 I’ve been wondering about starting my business as a spiritual & happiness guide or if I would do a new course in computer programming and take a job in that direction. But you know what. I’ll simply let it unfold. It’s not ‘me’ making the decision anyway. It’s ME/Self/All Of Me.
Much love and thanks for the reminder.
I am really enjoying your BATGP interview. Listening to it in pieces.
Marleen
Author
Awesome realization Marleen ;-). Yes, with the idea of being “the one who decides,” we carry the weight of the world/universe on our shoulders–in our minds–when its false anyway, and therefore unnecessary. What a load to unburden from yourself. Indeed it will unfold whether or not we have a thought (after the fact) that we are deciding the unfolding, lol. Cheers, and all the best, however it unfolds.
I think another view on Emerson’s quote is that, you need to be conscience of your choices. Those choices you never make, will most likely never happen. Certainly a great many things happen by accident in this world but one cannot claim that everything is so tightly coupled. The world does becomes much smaller when you jump on the internet though, so it’s logical to see many things start to coincide. In fact, most search engines will ensure they do 😀 (hence why I’m here I looked for an exact quote to share with someone)
I believe that decisions we make, even ones that only come as a whisper in our minds, have major impacts on our thought processes and thus become self fulfilling prophecies in a sense.
This has been proven time and time again in my life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forced myself to make a hard decision I didn’t really want to make, or how many times I’ve merely thought of a desired outcome and it becomes true with little effort on my own part. How many times was I too slow to act and missed a chance at the girl at the end of the bar. How many times did I fail to make a decision, only to be defaulted into a less than ideal situation? I suppose no decisions is a decision in itself but that sort of thinking will drive a person insane.
I truly believe that I was never meant to be a successful person in life, at least my upbringings would’ve dictated otherwise (No education, always in trouble with the law, etc.). It wasn’t until I decided I was going to be successful, that I felt I truly could be and thus did.
Author
Hi Josh, thanks for visiting! It seems you are beginning to over-ride the thinking process, which has appeared to hold you captive; to act against your conditioning. This is very hopeful.
You nailed it here: “I suppose no decision is a decision in itself…” That’s right, nothing happens in a vacuum. Everything happens because of what preceded it (even if that was just a thought). There is no separation. Actually, it’s believing there is somehow a separate individual who “makes decisions” that is already driving us insane. And to violence, and war, and atrocities. When this mad idea falls away, peace will reign within your body-mind. When it falls away in enough body-minds, peace will reign in the world.