Karmic Retribution or Universal Expansion?

There are people who see calamities as karmic retribution. I’m still one of them sometimes.

In the fall of 2023, I taught a class on Money Manifestation. The thing about the work I do is that it’s healing. It does follow intention and supports the objective a person is seeking, but in order to do that, it cleans out the other shit in the way. 

Myself and the people in the group let go of deep addictions through that class- smoking, alcohol, workaholism. We each did have some money shifts (small to large), but so much of what we experienced was a shift on the inside and our relationship to money and the things that ruled us. 

One of my biggest shifts, in relation to money, was significantly letting go of the feeling that when money isn’t supporting me the way I imagine, I’m being punished. This deep victim story rose up in my life every time I had a setback until the end of 2023 in that class. It was a paternal feeling and it was STRONG. Even though I didn’t specifically work on that belief I noticed it had lifted its pungent stink from me once that class was over. 

Fast forward to today. I’m sitting in an Inn in Cambria, CA. This is a small trip that is setting the stage for a larger trip to come in a month or so. 

Two days ago, on this trip, I locked my keys in my car while camping in the Sequoia National Forest. I experienced it as a delivery of something I had just asked for that morning. 

Cute, Universe. 

A woman came and sat with me for 2 ½ hours while we waited for her AAA to come and unlock it for me.

Yesterday, after walking along the boardwalk in Cambria (beautiful, by the way), I got back in my car to take my dog to the dog park on the beach and my car wouldn’t start. This led to calling for and paying for a jump and driving to get a new battery. All expenses I wasn’t expecting. I can take care of them for the moment but I will pay for them (literally because they’re on a CC) later. I also took this a bit in stride. Part of the adventure.

After getting the battery changed I discovered it could be the alternator and also my windows won’t roll up from the driver’s seat buttons…all problems I’ll need to deal with later.

At this point, my enjoyment of events as part of the journey is getting challenged. A part of me does want to sink back into that question - is this karmic retribution? Should I not have come here? Am I being punished? 

After all, energy follows the path of least resistance and that thought had a pretty old, well-worn path.

I got a room at this inn, wandered out only to get some food and local wine and bring it back to my room for my dog and me. I watched Friends and NCIS New Orleans and went to sleep.

I woke up this morning feeling a bit beat up and sad. I walked Deena, and came back with the intention of taking a nap before leaving Cambria. My wallowing victim side was ready to come to me, embrace me in her arms, and help me feel sorry for myself. 

Then, I remembered!! My tools. The tools I teach my manifestation people, which really should just be taught to every people: 

Signal Safety. As I lay in bed anticipating falling back asleep, I loosely did a Vagus Nerve connection stretch and felt myself soften. I felt my body ease. I felt the space I was creating in my nervous system opening, and I realized…

This is not about being punished. I am embarking on something that is really quite huge, and these are expansive and expanding contractions that are preparing me for what’s to come. 

These events are pointing to the things that need to be taken care of. 

They’re showing me how resourced I am (which I generally think I am, but I’m not usually faced with these circumstances). 

They’re demonstrating that I can ask for help and I can help myself. 

They’re showing that it’s ok to borrow from the future a little to get what you need now, and then pay it back. 

It showed me some ways I want to show up for myself when I get back. 

It showed me how I’d want to do this trip differently and how I’d want to do it the same in the future.

And the deal is, YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER BELIEF YOU WANT. They can both be right and either one will lead you down a path. So, 

do I want to take the path that says I shouldn’t venture outside my norm because I’ll be punished? Or 

do I want the belief that says when I venture down a new path, I’m going to be expanded and become even more ready and available for a bigger future and bigger timeline and bigger life?

I haven’t perfected this, obviously, but when I’m aware enough, I definitely choose the latter. And I’m interested, out of whoever is reading this, who’s still holding onto the thought that it’s my karmic retribution? 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when I remember to follow my own words of wisdom and teachings, my reality shifts even closer toward the future I’m excited for. 

What thoughts are leading you this morning?