On a recent drive home from a client session, I was mulling over an idea I’d “pitched” to a Vermont company that morning. I felt pretty darned good about it, but sent up a little “Please give me a sign” request to the Universe, adding “and could you please personalize it so I’ll know it’s for specifically for me.”
At the next stoplight a large truck pulled in front of me from the left. The photo—taken with my iPhone through the windshield—is what I saw. Pretty doggone personal when you consider my last name is Buchanan.
If you look closely at the license plate you’ll see the truck is from Indiana — not around here. In other words, an out-of-state vehicle that wasn’t bound to statistically show up in front of me at some point or other.
I laughed out loud because in a very comedic Bill Engvall manner, the Universe said, “Here’s your sign.”
What was the last sign you received?
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.” — Laurie Buchanan
The Book—Discovering the Seven Selves
The Experience—Life Harmony
© Laurie Buchanan 2013
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I’m cracking up over this …the Universe was hollering’, ” Can you hear me now? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!?” My personal token of a sign being given is a Blue Jay feather. Usually not easy to find, the Universe recently placed ONE right where I couldn’t fail to see it, right on top of the feed bin where I store the Chicken Ladies groceries, knowing that it is the first thing I head for every morning. I stared a moment and then burst into laughter, that same feather is now in the hat band of my hat. A reminder that I am not always just heard but responded to with a smile.
Sandi – Ya gotta love it! That bluejay feather is a FANTASTIC reminder that we’re not “just heard, but responded to with a smile.” 🙂
That looks to be pretty personal. I love it. I’m always looking for those signs. And they do happen … from books falling off a bookshelf into my hands to the subtle feelings that suddenly overtake me when I’m trying to make a decision.
Jzrart – yes, Yes, YES! I love your examples.
I am grateful for al the signs the Universe sends me. Our grandchildren seem to offer the most meaningful signs of love and memories of our loved ones, when I am thinking about those dear people.The signs and the children always make my heart smile!
Sheila – Gratitude and a smiling heart…a winning combination 🙂
I am reading Pam Grout’s book, E2, ( E Squared) which lists nine science experiments to illustrate that there is a field of infinite potentiality, how it works and that our thoughts create our reality.
Experiment #2 is The Volkswagen Jetta Principle
THE THEORY: One draws from the field of infinite possibilities according to her beliefs and expectations. One chooses an item to see in the next 48 hours.
THE QUESTION: Do I really see only what I expect to see?
HYPOTHESIS: If I decide to look for (in my case) green cars, I will see them.
It turned out that I needed to stay at
home the day I planned the experiment but when I got up very early, I realized we were out of milk. I had just enough time to drive to the store about a mile away. During that short drive, with few people on the street, I counted eight green cars and all of them the same shade of green!
Very cool!
Chris – How darned COOOOOOOL is that?! 😀
When my sister died, we found that she had been very vocal about what she wanted done with her ashes after cremation. However, every one that came forward – from ex-husbands to sisters, friends, co-workers and boyfriends – had a different story. When we put my sisters ashes in the lake, having decided on that one of her many requests, my youngest sister clutched mt arm and said, “I just want a sign that we are doing this right for her!” As the ashes floated away, we tossed pink roses into the water, too…and almost immediately, the whole sky turned that same exact shade of pink. When my mother died – nine days after my sister, a double rainbow graced the sky over her home and the lake where she’d spent her entire life.
Cindy – Oh My Gosh! I just got goosebumps up and down my arms (that always means confirmation for me). Wow!
Wow. Yes. I too have goosebumps reading your story. Amazing!
Cindy, I love this story too. My Grandma took the death of my granddad really badly, developing senile dementia soon after. All she really wanted was to be back with him, but she stayed with us for 12 more years. On the way to her funeral, a double rainbow appeared in the sky and I was so happy for my grandma as it was a sign to me they were together. Just like your mum and your sister. X
That’s exactly how we interpreted it, too! It can be such a comfort to see something like that, to help validate what we know in our hearts as truth.
WarmGinger – Oh that’s heartwarming 🙂
My sign this morning – in my best Bill Engvall voice: Is right in front of me, your blog of course!
CultFit – You crack me up 🙂
Love big signs like this, makes me smile!
Wildflower Women – Me too 🙂 Thank you for stopping by.
Years ago I was working and finishing my masters. Money was tight. I desperately needed a new car. I decided on a Chevy Cavalier; blue. The next day on my way to work I was blown away to see a billboard on the tollway on my route work with the exact same car. It became my powerful visualization for the possibility of the car becoming a reality. I drove past that billboard for months knowing with all my heart that car would be mine. When I finally went to a dealer with my down payment saved to buy it I was crestfallen when he said he didn’t have a blue Cavalier. Believing in my visualization I asked him to look again. He came back with a smile. Yes, there was one. A new delivery had come in that day with my blue Cavalier. Everytime I tell that story it gives me the shivers.
Audrey – Holy Toledo, I LOVE it! Another great story 🙂
Laurie – I love – ADORE your sign! Just the the cell phone commercials! “can you hear me now?” It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a sign….not that the Universe hasn’t been throwing them at me….but maybe I need to “listen” more closely. Thanks for making me smile today 🙂
Chris – Sometimes we have to “listen between the lines,” and then there are days when you get a Mack truck you can’t possibly miss 🙂 Thank you for stopping by today.
Well, fancy that! So uncanny!
Fatimasaysell – Uncanny, indeed 😀
I’m away with the faeries and my husband is as down to earth as it comes …we kind of meet each other half way . If I see something a little extraordinary he will say ‘oh it’s just a coincidence ‘ but we know different don’t we Laurie lol
Loved the photo.
CHERRY X
Cherry – We definitely do! 😀
Hilarious, Laurie. The Universe definitely has a sweet sense of humor. The wonderful thing is, you noticed your message. Often we are so busy and involved in the little dramas going on in our heads, we can miss these. It’s one of the advantages of growing older and wiser, that we slow down a bit and really SEE the world around us, and miss so much less.
Thank you for sharing this – I love it! 😀 (And good luck on your venture, too.)
Cynthia – I think it’s because I pay attention to my breathing (thank you Yoga practice) that I’ve come to be more observant than I ever was in my life before. Yes – with age we gain the edge of wisdom. We simply need to leverage it 🙂
Today I think. Today I am to go for a photo hunt walk with Shasta. It’s pouring down rain.
>
Carol – I know I’ll see some fantastic photographs over on your post 🙂
I am trying not to worry about this but I am not seeing signs or manifesting anything right now – rather I have this deep sadness that I am exploring
My day is quite normal, but when something bothers me in the negative, it is very large. Such as after the last storm no one cleaned out their storm gutters and they were quite clogged, this can flood my house and I have 2 sump pumps running, side french drains and helped put in an $1,800 large relief drain down the bluff with the State, I started to feel anger towards the neighbors who could not respect my need to have a safe, dry home enough to clean the storm drains and cut the water flow (rivers of water) coming down hill. About 40 huge trees have been taken out the last 4 years ( they drink up 500 gallons of water a day and sponge a great deal of the excess in a storm) I felt attacked at first…so I got out my broom and bucket and rake and spent 3 hours in the downpour cleaning those 19 storm drains and working through my feelings. I found myself, instead of wanting to talk to the neighbors and being thankful I knew what to do – I thought about ways to sue them and make their lives damaged and raw – mud….
Then I did my 3 hours of aerobic exercise and disengaged the negative feelings. I wrote for several hours….
I am going to go to the doctor’s next week and have all those big tests and I know that there will be no manifested changes….
I was hoping I would get 500 comments on a book review – like Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore….as a sign that I should keep doing these book reviews…
I am not depressed – actually quite keenly aware and on top of each thing. I just purchased Megan Bord’s new book The POCKET BOOK of MANIFESTING. And since it arrived yesterday I am quite excited about taking it as a sign and think I might re-activate my better sight and motion. Its all good, but I think it would be infinitely more fun if an out of state truck with my name on it would pull in front of me – safely! That would feel very powerful indeed – and on the road!
Patricia – Ouch, it hurts when others are not sensitive to our needs — your neighbors in this case. I’m sorry for them, but glad they have YOU as a thoughtful, conscientious neighbor. Your labor has probably saved their homes from water damage. Too, I’m glad that “The Pocket Book of Manifesting” has you excited.
As an aside…I, for one, thoroughly enjoy your book reviews and read and Tweet each one that’s posted 🙂
Yes you are a marvelous com mentor and tweeter of my reviews
I have 300+ faithful readers and I am grateful for each and everyone. They keep me going
The publishers and authors are not seeing enough comments so are currently not sending me proof copies of A or B level books. If I am not reviewing these books newspapers and magazines are not willing to purchase my reviews. Then I can not afford to purchase them myself. A catch 22.
Wow is it raining here! Better get to work
Patricia – With your explanation I can see it’s a frustrating circle. I’m sorry it’s like that.
Here’s a quote from the blog Guru
If you have just one reader and your blog changes their life, your blog is enough.
Darren Rowse
Patricia – I resonate with this sentiment 🙂
You ask, the universe answers–I love it!
Sometimes the answers are so subtle, they can be easily missed. Should I submit my manuscript? was a questions that’s been dogging me for a while. Each night I select an inspirational card as part of my bedtime routine. Last night I drew the ‘have courage’ card. This morning I sent my submission.
Leanne – Whoohoo! Keep us in the loop regarding your AVALANCHE of SUCCESS 🙂
You are so sweet, Laurie. It will be my pleasure to keep you informed. Thank you for your constant support. : )
Leanne – The pleasure is mine 🙂
Interesting.
It seems that reality presents to our senses many millions of times more information than we are consciously capable of perceiving.
Our brains have many different subconscious mechanisms for chunking this information down to an amount that allows it to generate a model of reality that is presented to our conscious awareness that we get to see as reality.
So it seems that the reality we see (or in any way experience) is not reality itself, but the model that our brains create.
One of the most important parts of the brain’s many mechanisms at work is an area known as the RAS – which seems to be largely responsible for selecting items of interest and relevance from amongst the masses of information coming in.
So it seems entirely probable that most of the time, what is actually happening is that it is the filters of our brain that are changing, that cause changes in the model of reality that or brains make, and direct our attention to aspects of those models. So in this sense, we really do create much of our reality. And in this sense it is referring to the model that we get to experience, rather than the external reality that provides most of the source data that goes into creating the model we experience.
So it is a sort of a yes and no thing.
Yes, on the experiential reality it happens.
No, all experiments I have investigated have shown that it is not happening at the level of objective reality (that which is measured by non aware instruments, rather than by human beings).
Ted – I was hoping you’d leave a comment and I’m not disappointed, in the least. I thought for certain your answer would involve statistics (wrong!)…
And while we approach this “sign” seemingly from two different planets, I see a correlation: you want the utmost best for me, as I want the utmost best for you. And for me, that’s what it boils down to: people, places, things, events, and opportunities that are Positive, Uplifting, Constructive, and Healing. And you’re definitely that in my life – always putting a great big smile on my face 🙂
I love Ted! I just love him! If I ever have a question that has me entirely stumped I can go to him for an answer…Odd, too,
isn’t it that he can be so practical and completely logical ( think Spock on Star Trek ) and yet has been married to the only real life Fairy/Elf/ Magical Person I’ve ever known, for years and years.
Sandi – OMG! You’ve hit the nail squarely on the head. Ted is just like Spock on Star Trek (probably even smarter!), and Ailsa’s got more magic in her little finger than all of the faeries put together! 🙂
The last sign? Well, my car windshield was adorned with frost this morning after a very cold night. This represents the very first day of the new season, and the official death knell for the summer. I love that trailer hitch photo there Laurie! Ha!
Sam – That’s a pretty certain SIGN that Old Man Winter’s on his way 🙂
Now that’s amazing, Laurie! Talk about a sign. Interestingly, I just read Kathy’s post about her visit to the Hungarian Falls, knowing the piece I’ve scheduled to go live tomorrow morning is also about a waterfall visit. Gotta love it, right?!
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Kathy – Two Kathy’s, two different continents, two different waterfalls. To my way of thinking that adds up to (a) serendipity, (b) a sign from the Universe, (c) both 🙂
Looking forward to your post 🙂
I love signs that the Universe is listening, Laurie, and sending us signals, too. You have my most recent examples at Living the Prayer. And then I’ve had two instances where my money has been returned to me (?). I have to wonder if the Universe wants us to send it signs that we have heard it . . .
Barbara – Ohhhhhh, your idea make me think “boomerang effect.” I like it! 🙂
What a fun story, Lori. You must have laughed at seeing your name on the back of a truck! That’s a pretty creative sign…I’ve never seen a name on a truck displayed in quite this way. I know through the years there have been times I’ve really needed a sign, just for validation of a decision or because I needed one emotionally, and I can’t come up with a memory of anything in particular, but they’ve always come at just the right time. Often, it’s a random conversation where someone will articulate my concern and answer when they don’t even know I’ve been mulling over an issue. I’ve never felt it was a coincidence. 🙂
Debra – “…they’ve come just at the right time.” Isn’t that the wonderful way of it?! 🙂
That is awesome!!
Becwillmylife – It sure is! You could have tipped me over with a feather 🙂
Oh how funny, I read this first thing Tuesday morning and couldn’t think of a single sign that happened recently. But it feels like signs are always happening and that I’m always following them. It’s just that none stands out as being significant at this time–and apparently not a few days later either. Loved this post, Laurie!
Kathy – I think you live in the middle of a great big sign (little house in the BIG woods). It’s probably a case of “you can’t see the forest for the trees” 🙂 Oh my gosh, I’m cracking myself up!
You see all kinds of wonderment every single day and probably don’t think of it as a “sign” anymore — it’s simply part and parcel of what takes place in your world.
Phew. I’m glad YOU came up with words for it!! You are so right. I used to see “signs” all the time. And then it just became more seamless. Or something. Thank you for articulating it. *Iove*
Kathy – I’m on the outside looking in. Easy for me to see from a distance. Your nosed is pressed right up against those wonderful, glorious trees.
When I moved to Lakemoor, I had several signs – it was almost overwhelming to have so many – all from the same person. 🙂
Words4jp – Isn’t it amazing how that works?! 🙂
freaky actually – totally!
Marvelous, Laurie !! In a language and in a way that is personally meaningful. I do get “signs” too but can’t think of one at the moment to share. Still, I would ask for them to be “signs”, that I could understand to be exactly “that”, just as you did. I think that’s important so that we don’t have to “second-guess” stuff around us, and interpret it as something it might not be. I’ve always thought that interpreting “intuitions” is one of the most difficult spiritual “skills” that we might wish to develop.
I can say that I’m not in the habit of asking for signs. But I do get “themes” or “patterns” that coalesce around me with a kind of “message”, throughout any given day. Many, many of my days produce that quality of “guidance”, affirmations externally of something I need to be mindful about or contemplate deeper.
BTW – Happy Birthday !!!
Deb – Like YOU, I get themes or patterns as well. They come through loud and clear when I’m observant. And THANK YOU for the birthday wishes. When I wake up in the morning I’m my odometer will have rolled over to 56 years 🙂
I love the truck sign. In your face… sometimes I need that kind to wake up and not feel so hypnotized by day to day routines. Here’s my two cents advice I share that I’ve found workable… or some of the points that help. When you state your question clearly and then release it to the Universe, allowing yourself to be open and receptive to the answers, you find clarity, synchronicity and guidance. It never fails. Get clear on what it is that you need support and guidance around…
Ask the questions, take a deep breath and release it to the Universe. Stop thinking about it and engage in the present moment. Go to work, be with the guy, do what you normally do around the city. Don’t go into your head to try and “sort it out” or seek a sign. Just be… and be open.
The Universe works through people and signs can come in many forms. A video that your friend forwards you with an underlying message that sparks a sense of knowing in your soul. A series of status updates, shares or tweets that you’re able to feel a common thread between. A question in an advertisement that sparks clarity. An article, billboard or random string of conversations that raises the hairs on your neck.
This is knowing. Knowing doesn’t come from seeking and forcing.
Knowing comes from…
1) Being clear on where you need guidance. Ask your question clearly, where exactly do you need support, answers or guidance?
2) Releasing it to the Universe. No more weighing the options in your mind. Send it off and trust that it’s been heard.
3) Engaging in the present moment. Just be present in your life and tuned into your body. Your intuition lives in your body, and if you want to know the answers and be able to receive them, you have to be engaged in it, not your mind.
4) Staying open and receptive. If you have to think about whether or not it’s a sign or guidance, it’s not. You’re forcing it. If something is said or comes on your radar that sparks a physical reaction — a clear sense of truth — you have your answers.
Thanks for the reminder… now I gotta go make some clear questions to ask the Universe 🙂
Kathy – Oh I LOVE it! And the point that really struck home with me was “…and then RELEASE it.” Thank you for sharing your “two-cents” here at Speaking from the Heart 🙂
As the saying goes, Name it claim it. I just hope you didn’t scuff up your knees to bad trying to get that sign off the truck.
Hayden’s Lyric – Oh my gosh, I burst out laughing while drinking tea and almost shot it out my nose!
Lordy mercy, you reckon you couldn’t’ve asked for something else? What about a new car or a paid bill? You literally got yourself a sign, honey. Whatever you plan on doing with it?
Totsymae – I’m taking that sign to be a thumbs-up (green light, yes-indeedy) that I’ll get a “Yes!” response for writing a column I pitched to a magazine headquartered in Vermont. I’ll keep everyone posted 🙂
I had an Indian wedding vase randomly fall of a shelf and break into three pieces. I knew i would have three children.
Those kind of synchronicities happen to me all the time… I love when I catch them. I need to be like you are and ask the universe more…
Michael – Like you, I believe we should ask, Ask, ASK 🙂
I hope you are well. I love your blog and thank you for often visiting mine. I am back after quite an absence and hope you will visit again soon. Till then…
ABoomersVoice – I was tickled pink when I saw your fresh post in my Reader list! You can be sure I’ll be back 🙂
When I needed a “ladybug sighting” from my mother, which is quite similar to your situation in the picture: soulgatherings.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/of-ladybugs-and-dragonflies-and-love/
Theresa – yes, Yes, YES!
I like the fact that we both sat in traffic and it was staring us in the face…
Amen siSTAR!