Kisses from the Universe: What Do They Tell You
A new line of painted red hearts appears on the sidewalk in front of the Alcove Cafe in my Los Angeles neighborhood, and it reminds me that love is always the way, even when it may not seem like it in the moment, and especially on days when life feels uncertain.
A white feather lands at my feet while I paddle in a canoe through a hippo-infested channel on the Zambezi, and I take it as a message that I am protected while doing something that feels scary and unfamiliar, which happens to be part of my work as an adventure travel designer and something many of us experience in different ways.
On a dusty dirt road in Malawi, I pass a roadside coffin store, and the sight triggers a deep sense of gratitude that I am alive and that being alive asks for full participation.
I look at these seemingly random occurrences as “kisses from the universe.” I take them as whispers from above, or quiet inner reminders that I am being guided and everything will be okay. When I do this, I feel comforted, supported, and hopeful. There is a passage in Paulo Coelho’s novel “The Zahir” that muses on how the universe speaks in signs and is only understood when your mind is open to reading its language—the language of seeing hidden meanings in what is happening around you. If you pay attention, you will come to know everything needed to support you. “Lessons always arrive when you are ready.”
Within the cosmic realm of possibilities, the universe contains infinite pathways you can experience, including ones that shape relationships, careers, health, and how you move through an ordinary day. You experiment with this and that, tumble into a few rabbit holes, and hit some dead ends. Do this enough, and you learn to understand that another avenue is available when one way gets blocked. One door closes, and another one opens, be it personal or professional. When something is impossible, view it as the universe telling you it is not the direction meant for you; instead, be open to a different possibility. Consider that when something is unclear, daunting, or upsetting, something fantastic could be just beyond your current field of vision. Even scientists can only view the natural world within the limits of their knowledge, the questions they ask, and the instruments to measure a phenomenon.
As you gain more sensitivity in observing your world, coupled with clear intentions, you will eventually be able to read the universe’s language of signs, get those “ah-ha” moments, and see things and situations in a new, more nurturing light. This understanding also helps put upsetting things into a better, healthier perspective. Perhaps there are some lessons you need to learn. There is a saying, “Whatever gets you through the night,” and this way of seeing things does it for me.
When you learn to read the language of the universe and listen to its whispers, the miraculous happens, and your path in life becomes more focused in ways you feel during everyday decisions. You know what a full body is, “Hell yes!” and what a “Hell no!” is. You may face challenges before realizing your priorities and what you truly want. Often this happens after surviving a life-threatening disease, a major injury, a near-death experience, or a catastrophic event. People made significant shifts in priorities after 9/11 and the Covid pandemic. The Great Resignation partly happened because many realized they wanted a better quality of life.
This Month’s Practice: Paying Attention
Choose to notice one moment each day that feels like a nudge, a coincidence, or a pause that carries meaning, even if it seems small. Acknowledge it. Notice how it feels in your body.
Photo Op: Take a photo of one of these moments that feels meaningful or reassuring.
Action Opportunity: Then write what you noticed and how it made you feel in your body.
Ask: Is there a message? What could it be? What are hearts drawn in chalk on the sidewalk pointing you toward? Maybe it is to keep an open heart.
So, when you feel scared, disappointed, or unclear, be open to those kisses from the universe channeled through your inner voice, offering guidance and wisdom. Like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” she possessed the ability to go home all along. With a bit of help from Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, Dorothy realizes this for herself. Direction comes in all forms and is available to you.
This article includes an excerpt from my debut book, “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want,” which reached Amazon’s #1 Bestseller list in the Creativity Self-Help category and was an Eric Hoffer Literary Award Finalist. It was voted “Best Personal Development Book of the Year 2024” and received the “2025 Leader of the Year” award from this magazine. The book has won thirteen prestigious awards, including the Silver Nautilus Book Award and multiple category honors from the NYC Big Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, Best Book Award, and the Independent Press Award. It was also featured in Times Square, New York. Take my Free Quiz.
Learn more about what makes you happy.
Go to https://sojourntohappiness.com/happiness-essentials-quiz/. If you cannot do something, think about Beethoven, Muggsy, and RuPaul and know that you are worthy of whatever you desire.
“When you learn to read the language of the universe and listen to its whispers, the miraculous happens.”
-Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA
You can find more intentional practices in my book or by downloading my Take a Shot at Happiness app.
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