If ‘tests from the universe’ is a foreign concept to you, you’re in luck because we are about to dive deep into what tests look like and how they show up just when you feel like you can’t take them anymore.
The first time I realized I was being tested by the universe, I was 21. I had failed every test that came my way, from shitty partners to being manipulated by a best friend, choosing to go to a college based on a high school boyfriend, and then dropping out of college by leaving for spring break and not going back. I was sleeping on my best friend’s couch and living day by day, trying to emotionally survive the toxic life I had set up for myself. It was this rock bottom that made me realize all of the tests that had been given to me, and one by one…I failed them, bringing me deeper and deeper into my dysfunctional behavior and unwavering anxiety.
But one day, I noticed as an opportunity came through, I realized the pattern and how I had reacted in the past to a similar situation…playing small…and choosing not to see the red flags. This was when I did something different…I said no to dating douchebags and women full of toxic masculinity… I moved back in with my parents and fessed up to my immature actions…got two jobs working as a barista during the day, and a cocktail waitress at night. Within a year, I moved into my own place and began unraveling the woundedness within me and the shadow I had rejected. Eight years later, I am still learning, growing, and untying the generational knots and societal burden. During that period, I began to notice the patterns in my life, the rock bottoms, the glorious highs, and the opportunities that took me from one end of the pendulum to the other.
Opportunities are Test
Let’s look at a few examples ranging from relationships to career to finances; hopefully, you will understand what I am speaking about.
Relationships
Okay, starting with relationships, imagine a woman; let’s call her Ginny. Ginny has been in terrible relationships her entire life. Moving from one loser to another, all her partners are judgmental, shallow, and have a tendency to get really angry when they drink. Now imagine Ginny breaking up with her partner and saying good riddance, and a year later, she decides to jump back into the dating pool. The first person she meets seems friendly and open-minded, but after the third date, she notices they drink a lot and care too much about having a nice car and designer clothes. RED FLAG. Sure, they are nice and open-minded, but they still hit on two past patterns of partners that have not worked out. Now, let’s say she notices this and moves on; I would call this “passing a test.” Now, will she be tested again? Maybe, most likely, until she is in her worth. However, passing these tests and choosing not to settle will eventually always bring in an aligned partner.
Career
Alright, let’s look at career. Imagine someone named Alba. Alba has been working for crappy cooperation for four years and is underpaid, overworked, and has to deal with discrimination in the office weekly. They believe they cannot make more money anywhere else and convince themselves of this, which is why they stay and sacrifice their worth. One fine day, they decide that they have had enough and start looking for new job opportunities in their area. To their surprise, they find several jobs that offer them more than what they were making. Now, Alba could have taken any of these jobs, and it would have been an upgrade. Still, they interviewed their potential bosses to find out what they value in an employee and how they keep up company morale and asked them to give a higher wage than what was listed on the job ad. Alba passed this test. They went above and beyond to find a job that suited them rather than trying to suit someone else. Because of this, they got the desired job and were paid $10 over the initial starting wage for the position.
Finances
Now, there are many different ways we can look at finances, but for this example, we are going to use the topic of scarcity—someone who struggles with a fear of not having enough, coming from a place of lack. For this example, we are going to talk about Benjamin. Benjamin has tests come up constantly, always in a whirlwind of scarcity; he finds himself with a car that has been broken into, the next week, he has an unexpected medical bill, and the week after that, his water heater goes out. He is in constant fear that he won’t have enough money. Living paycheck to paycheck, he fears getting a new job that he may like because he believes he will have to take a pay cut; he also worries about going back to school because he can’t afford to pay it off. Do you see the vicious cycle? Benjamin is faced with tests every time an unexpected bill comes up; the difficulty is two things; trust and grace. Will he trust that something good is coming and that the universe will always provide him with what he needs as long as he is active in going up against his fears? Will he find ways to get more income, either by getting another job or selling something that he creates? He could also look into high-demand careers willing to pay for the education. When Benjamin looks outside his fear, he finds opportunities to grow and trust in his future rather than withering away in scarcity.
All of these stories are true from both myself and people I know who all rose above their limiting beliefs and found their worth on the other side. Tests get easier to pass with practice, and the surefire way to notice you are being tested is to look at your triggers and see the patterns around them. The ones that keep coming up ask you to look at them with kind eyes and find a new solution that resonates with your soul’s expression. Be kind to yourself, and do the things that scare you. Through this, you will always find peace on the other side.
