That or Something Better

At the beginning of June, I had everything set up with a yoga space to teach at. It was a five minute walk from my place, right in the sweet spot of my budget and there was even a list of clients waiting to do private yoga with me.

I was jumping for joy! It was one of those things that just fell into my lap. I had connected with the studio on my walks during the pandemic and it was something that evolved from organic conversation.

Everything was falling into place. It was everything I had hoped for. It was meant to be.

It was a gift from the universe! Until, it wasn’t.

Upon returning from my extended trip to see family out east, I began making moves to lock in the new spot. I was met with resistance.

There were weird vibes around getting the agreement in writing. There were weird vibes around scheduling. There were weird vibes around space-sharing.

There was just something “off”.

I began to hear the whisper inside me say - “Pause”, “Listen to this” and “let’s go a different way”.

As someone who really believes in and has reaped the benefits of perseverance - I chose to persevere for a bit. I asked for clarity and conversation. I looked at myself - was I asking too much? Was there something I wasn’t seeing?

I came up empty handed. This just wasn’t right. I could not start my yoga business here.

And yet, in certain ways, it made no logical sense.

I walked away from a full client load and space a stone’s throw from my home. I postponed my FriYAY group yoga class and began seeking a different space. My ego did not like this.

I pivoted based on a feeling. The inner voice.

It made no logical sense. And yet, it was right.

A similar thing happened when I won a job with the US Navy Band in 2018.

At age 27, the age I had wrote in a journal years before, I achieved a life goal and dream - I won a full time job playing my French horn. This was not just any job. It was one of a handful in the world.

It was going to pay a high salary, pay back my student loans and oh yeah, I was going to be able to pick between Hawaii and Italy for where I lived! Not to mention, playing my horn all day every day!

It was truly a dream. Something I had envisioned my entire life. I had done it. I had won. I did it at 27. I was going to live my destiny of playing professionally and do it in style!

Everything was falling into place. It was everything I hoped for. It was meant to be.

Everything had aligned between me and the universe! Until, it didn’t.

Upon looking at everything to accept the job, I was met with resistance.

To do the job, I needed to go to basic training. I was actually excited about this. Working out for a couple months and getting paid for it? Sounded like a cool challenge to me.

Every time I saw a photo of Donald Trump as my boss, my soul sank. Is that what I really wanted? Especially as a woman?

I was advised to lie about my medical history to ensure that I was not disqualified in the on-boarding process for the Navy. This felt 100% wrong in my body. Did I want to accept and move forward based on anything other than the truth?

I began to hear that same voice, the same one from the yoga studio - “Pause”, “Listen to this” and “let’s go a different way”.

I ended up being honest about my medical history and was disqualified from the dream job. People told me “I told you so” and in some ways it made no logical sense.

I purposely did something I knew could cost me the job -  I was honest. I had my dream at my feet and then it was taken away.

It made no logical sense. And yet, it was right.

In the game of goals, manifestation and life in general, I believe we are all co-creators with a force greater than ourselves. This is the force that links us. Some call it the universe, God or energy.

It’s the force that causes my friend in Melbourne to text me the moment I’m thinking of her even though she’s on the other side of the world. It’s the force that brings a check to arrive in the mail for the exact amount of something I need. It’s the serendipity and synchronicity of life. It’s the power of thought and embodiment being mirrored back to us in our reality.

It’s yoga - we are connected and we are one.

When creating dreams and goals, visualization is a big part of it. This is something I’m good at.

I can visualize exactly what I want it to look, feel, smell and taste like. This is what happened with the yoga studio. This is what happened with the Navy Band. The specificity has proven to be scarily accurate!

However, there is a set of values and mantras that I have come to live by with manifesting and goals that is encapsulated in the two stories I shared. It’s this:

“That or something better.”

Sometimes it’s so easy to get fixated on having something happen in exactly the way it had been planned and visualized. It can be easy to attempt brute force to make things “work”.

What the mantra, “that or something better” allows for is intuition, creativity and more support from the universe that ever anticipated before.

I’ve come to experience that the universe gives three answers to a goal or dream: “Yes”, “Not right now” or “I’ve got something better”.

The key to being available for all three is leaning into the mystery and trusting the inner voice - especially when it defies logic or makes zero sense.

These are the moments that invite magic, invite the “something better” and invite goals and dreams to be realized in a way that is fully in alignment with intuition and the highest good.

How do I know my intuition? Through daily practice of meditation and yoga.

With the yoga studio, I now teach out of a space that is more suited for yoga, in the sweet spot of my budget, no weirdness about the business side of things and bonus - I was delighted to discover that it had a beautiful piano in it when I went to tour it! I had been seeking a real piano to play on and it’s also just a short walk from my place.

Because I followed my inner voice and stayed open, “that or something better” happened.

With the Navy, I was absolutely crushed in the moment. At the same time, I stayed open to the possibilities. What could be better than my lifelong dream? I had no clue.

This pivot based on a feeling caused a series of events and introspection that led me to start and create Mindful Music. It led me to pursue coaching with abandon and lean in to yoga and writing.

Because of this slammed door, about twenty others flew open. The biggest thing of all? I questioned a path I had been on out of habit and realized other things lit my soul up more.

The universe delivered “that or something better”! I now am the happiest and most fulfilled I’ve ever been because I’m living my true dharma. Following my intuition with the Navy was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

Is there something in your life that’s whispering at you to - “Pause”, “Listen to this” and “let’s go a different way”?

If you knew listening to your inner voice could take you on a path to “that or something better”, would you do the brave thing and listen?

What would it be like if you knew meditation could help you discern between fear and your true inner guide?

May this blog and these stories serve as a reminder and deep knowing that the universe has your back with your goals and dreams.

It is the simple requirement of you listening in, even when it’s scary, even when it makes zero logical sense and stepping into the void knowing that “something better” will fill it.

In all I do, I seek to provide vehicles for people to strengthen their relationship to their inner voice, power and practices like yoga and meditation to support them in creating their dreams.

If you’re interested in working with me through 1:1 coaching, 1:1 yoga, meditation or Mindful Music piano lessons - reach out to me here! It’s my greatest joy to hold space for amazing people as they embody these teachings to create magic in their lives.

It’s all a vehicle for love and lives fully lived. Are you in??

Here’s to “that or something better” and the beauty of the void!

In love, your inner voice and dreams in different forms,

⭐️ Adrienne