A lot of the spiritual gurus I follow talk about the goal of “aligning your soul with the right frequency in the universe.” Sounds a little woo-woo, doesn’t it?
The idea behind this concept, though, is solid. It claims that when you’re living in tandem with what’s true to you—meaning, what’s true to your inner self—you become aligned with something bigger than yourself. AKA, you vibe on the same frequency as the energy you call God/source/universe/light.
Think of it this way: Let’s say that deep down inside, you know your job is draining your life from you, that you married the wrong person, or that you’re actually capable of making me-time for yourself, but never do. If you know something to be true on the inside but you’re too scared to change it on the outside, it creates struggle.
When you live in a way that ignores your intuition, life becomes harder than it has to be. When your insides don’t match your outsides, it creates friction in your life.
If that last sentence resonates, it’s likely because you’re living for other people and not for yourself. You’re staying in a shitty situation or not walking toward a better one, because you’re scared you’ll let people down, you’re afraid of failing, or you’re worried that it can’t be done.
The good news is that the opposite of this principle is also true. When your insides lead your life, it creates a sense of ease in your life. This is where energetic frequency comes in. When your energy is aligned with the universe, you’re operating on a higher wavelength. In fact, it feels a lot like you’re floating with a current down the river, versus trying to swim upstream against it.
My life is far from perfect—just ask my husband, either of my children, or any of their teachers. However, my life is ten times easier now that I’m following my own path and not fighting to win the approval of other people or exceed their expectations.
What’s exciting is that I’ve found that the proof is in the music.
This cool thing happens when my insides match my outsides: when I find myself in an experience that illustrates me at my best, when a song that perfectly mirrors my journey randomly comes on the radio. For instance, I was recently in California for a conference, and I put my work aside, left the conference early, and decided to hike to the top of a local mountain. It wasn’t an easy decision, since it didn’t feel overly responsible, but I went anyway.
I went because my insides were calling for it. I had been traveling a lot, I was tired, and I was uniquely positioned to take advantage of the beautiful scenery on the West Coast that I rarely get to see. So, I huffed and puffed my way to the top of the mountain. When I was almost at the top, the first song to stream through my Pandora was… A Little Bit Stronger, by Sarah Evans . Some of the lyrics of this song go, “even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.” It was a perfect sign from the universe, reminding me that even when I have bad/grumpy/fussy/angry moments, I’m still light-years stronger than I was when I lived for others.
Talk about welcome validation.
Next up? Wide Open Spaces, by The Chicks . Picture me plopping my tired ass down on a rock at the top of a California mountain, thanking my lucky stars for the courage to live a life that’s authentically mine, and listening to these lyrics that happened to start playing through my earbuds.
Many precede and many will follow
A young girl’s dreams no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out west
But what it holds for her, she hasn’t yet guessed
She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the high stakes
She traveled this road as a child
Wide eyed and grinning, she never tired
But now she won’t be coming back with the rest
If these are life’s lessons, she’ll take this test
At this point, I was so thrilled with the frequency I was on, and how happy I felt, that I decided to stand up and really take in the view around me. And at that exact moment, this next song started playing. Stand, by Rascal Flatts
You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless
Like you’ve lost your fight
But you’ll be alright; you’ll be alright
‘Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you’re made of
You might bend, ‘til you break
‘Cause it’s all you can take
On your knees, you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad; you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand
Crazy, right?
I believe with every bone in my body that when your insides are aligned with your outsides, the reward for your courage is the ability to live on a slightly different plane. Life doesn’t become easy, but it does get easier. And most importantly, when you’re really following your truth, the universe serves up signs to show you that you’re making the right decisions.
Hear this. Know this. Believe this: We are not alone.
Thinking back to that day in California, my entire self-help journey to happiness can actually be summarized by those three songs, in that order. I got stronger. I sought out wide open spaces. I stood up for myself.
And then I climbed to the top of a mountain and cried like a baby.
