I love to talk about how the Universe speaks to me and sends me messages that somehow explain events that happen in my life, or my mood, or what my next move should be. Sometimes it's a song that comes on my radio, or an unexpected phone call from an old friend, or a passage I read in a book I haven't picked up in a while.

What about the messages that seemingly tell me to stop what I'm doing, or refocus, or to not move forward? With children there always seems to be some emergency, some fire to put out, something that seems to take priority over anything I would want to do for myself. I guess that's the case if you have children or not. Why is that? Why is there such guilt or feeling of selfishness when it comes to being good to ourselves? It's wrong.

When my printer wouldn't work to print out invitations to a workshop I'm conducting, was the Universe telling me that I shouldn't market the event? Maybe I shouldn't even be holding this event at all!

Sometimes we need to look at those challenges as motivators to get us out of our comfort zone. Create a new way to translate what the Universe is saying. Putting out frustration and doubt will just bring that same energy back to me. I don't want that! If I conjure the spirit to overcome and the determination to achieve my goals and maintain my focus on the desired outcome, then all that positive energy is going to come back to me. Thinking of it that way makes an uncooperative printer seem so inconsequential. I called on a friend to help, and she did. What a gift to me, and to her. It feels good to know you have people you can count on in a pinch, and it also feels good to be that helpful person to someone else.

So from now on I'm going to have selective hearing when the Universe talks to me. I will gladly take those positive messages and allow them to nudge me forward along my path. But when I hear a message that is the equivalent of a flashing "proceed with caution" or a flat-out red light, I'm going to challenge myself to find the opportunity for growth or ingenuity or compromise in that situation. God, Goddess, the Universe--my own spirit--wants me to succeed. It's my own thoughts that can sabotage that and I won't allow that to happen.

peace, love, and bright green lights...