Reply Hazy Try Again

Explore James' Teachings and Insights on All Things Spiritual

Reply Hazy Try Again

Aug 4, 2017 | JVP's Blog

“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”

Alan Watts

The last couple of weeks have been so enlightening! I’ve been launching my new Signs from the Universe course, and it seems like everyone I meet has an interesting story to share about a message they’ve received. Some are still wrestling, years or even decades later, with figuring out exactly what Spirit was trying to tell them! To me, some of the most thought provoking stories are when the meaning of a sign isn’t immediately apparent.

Have you ever received a cryptic sign from Spirit? Here’s a little advice. When you’re sure what you’re experiencing is too perfect of a coincidence to be random but you can’t decode exactly how you’re meant to act on it, don’t overthink it. Put it on the “back burner” for a while, and let the unconscious part of your mind do the work. It’s likely that before long an insight will pop into your head and everything will make sense.

You probably played with a Magic 8 Ball as a child. You’d shake a heavy plastic ball filled with a murky dark liquid, ask a question, and a message would appear. I always got impatient when the 8 Ball wouldn’t just give me a straight yes or no answer – but as I look back, I realize that sometimes “reply hazy – try again” was a reminder to get out of my head, and let intuition take over.

Here are some examples of mysterious messages, and the lessons they contained.

Don’t tie yourself up in knots to please people.

A friend was going through a divorce several years ago. She kept noticing images of acrobats and circus performers practically everywhere she turned. There wasn’t any reason for contortionists and bareback riders to keep showing up – the circus wasn’t in town – but the theme kept repeating itself. She would see commercials and billboards with an acrobatic theme. Then, while babysitting her niece, the child asked her to read a book about clowns at the circus, and while at the theatre, she saw a preview for the movie “Like Water for Elephants.” Finally, a friend was moving, and gave her a vintage cirque du soleil poster that he no longer had room for. She didn’t realize why she was being shown these images until she had a dream one night. In it, she was performing acrobatics – literally doing backflips and contorting herself while her ex husband and his family watched in the audience. She realized that the circus images were a reflection of how overly accommodating she had been in her marriage, and a reminder that she needed to be herself and take her needs into account in future relationships.

“Hey universe, is that a yes or a no?”

Several students have shared signs that don’t seem to lead anywhere in particular. One young friend was considering a job selling high-end knives door to door. The recruiter for this particular job was very convincing and pressured him to make a decision that day. On the short trip home from the interview, the young man found himself staring at the license plate on the car in front of him. Weirdly, the personalized plate said KNIVES. “This had to be a sign, I didn’t feel like it was either a YES or a NO,” he told me. He decided to let his mind wander, and suddenly a voice whispered in his ear “Just wait.” He held off committing to the knife peddling position, and sure enough, the next day he was offered a job with more pay that was far more suited to his skills.

Spirit has your back.

Another student was trying to make a major life decision. During her morning meditation she specifically asked the universe for guidance. A few minutes later, she was walking her dog and spotted a license plate that spelled out “GUIDNCE.” While she was sure there was a sign there for her, it took her a while to realize that this cryptic message was the universes’ way of letting her know to let go and trust that a higher power was working on her problem. She’s stopped agonizing over her choice, and has turned it over to the universe.

Spirit has it’s own way of communicating. When you think that something must be a message for you, but you can’t figure out what it means, let the dust settle. Slow down, bring yourself into the present moment, and open yourself up to accept the gift of divine wisdom!

If you need a little extra help inviting more signs from the universe and understanding their meaning, join me for a 21 Day Journey where you’ll  experience a new sign every day – that will guide you toward making the right choices and living your best life!