I know holidays can sometimes be stressful, so I wanted to share a different perspective and to introduce you to something called Pronoia, the opposite of paranoia: when the whole world is conspiring to shower you with blessings!
Sounds amazing, right? It’s totally possible. Here’s an example.
Recently I traveled from Sedona to Boston. I adore Sedona and it was a magical six weeks, so I was in a very high-vibration place. My intention was to stay in this state for as long as I could, even in the chaos of the airport.
I arrived at the airport super early, and was hoping to switch to an earlier flight back. I knew this was unlikely because of the holiday rush, but I thought I’d try.
The frenzied energy of the airport was in stark contrast to the magic and peace of the red rocks, but I was confident I could stay centered and not descend into it.
The first woman I spoke with pushed me towards a kiosk and told me she doubted there was a seat, but if there was, the kiosk would make the change and would charge me $75. This didn’t feel right, so I politely but firmly said I’d prefer to speak with an agent. She finally and reluctantly, let me get in line to speak with an actual person.
When I finally got up there, the gentleman had clearly been working hard and was tired and stressed. I looked him in the eye, smiled, thanked him for his time, and told him what I was hoping to do. He began tapping on his screen while I silently wished him well and sent loving kindness to all. After a few minutes he looked up, said he was able to move me with no extra charge and happy holidays.
Great! When I got to security I noticed the giant line. I pulled out my boarding pass. I had already been cleared somehow so I could go through the pre-check lane. No line, no shoes off, no hassle. Sweet!
I walked to my gate and pulled out the pass again to check my boarding group. I had been assigned priority boarding. This has never happened before!
When they called priority boarding, I was very amused to be in that group. I got to my seat, was arranging my things and realized I had left my cell phone in the boarding area. I knew to breathe and stay calm. This wouldn’t be a problem.
I swam upstream from seat 20, told the flight attendant that I was running off and would be right back and she told me if I left, I couldn’t get back on. We went back and forth a few minutes. I had no idea what was going to happen and wasn’t attached to outcome, although I was calmly advocating for retrieval of my phone.
Finally the pilot poked his head out of the cockpit and said, “If I get off, you have to let me back on. I’ll go get her phone.”
Of course, the pilot himself came to my rescue. I didn’t see that coming, but that is the beauty of pronoia.
Life will surprise you in wonderful ways!
When you believe the universe is supporting you, it is. If you believe life sucks and things are awful, they are.
Choose your attitude and your inner state carefully. They create your reality. If you’ve gotten away from your mindfulness practice, now might be a great time to restart.
Be open to the possibility that:
- you can create your own luck
- things aren’t happening to you, they’re happening for you
- challenges are opportunities in disguise
- you are a magical creature and a powerful creator
The first step is pausing and dropping below the level of reactivity. Only through being completely present can you make wise and conscious choices moment by moment.
If you want some guidance reconnecting to the present, I created a FREE 7-day mindfulness challenge. You’ll receive a short (around 10 minutes) guided mindfulness practice in your inbox every day. Click here to register.
Two of the 7 days are loving-kindness practices because I believe so strongly that this helps strengthen Pronoia.
May you be showered with blessings and may you be a blessing to others!
with love,
Erin
