I was running along the banks of the Rhein River when Life winked at me.
A “life wink” – serendipity, coincidence, whatever you want to call it – can sometimes be just what you need to feel the flow and see your next step more clearly. But you have to set yourself up to receive it!
That day on my river run, I was in Switzerland on a scouting mission with my boyfriend, trying to decide if we’d pack up our Boston lives and move to Basel together.
The magnitude of the change was exciting but daunting. Suffice to say, a trans-Atlantic move hadn’t exactly been in my plans. Was this really a good time for a total life reset? What if things didn’t work out?
I’d been watching the city go by out the hotel window. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sitting around stewing in my thoughts isn’t a great way to find clarity.
Sometimes the best way to find the path forward is to simply start moving. There’s magic in taking yourself out of the building and putting yourself where the world can find you. So I laced up my running shoes and headed to the Rhein.
The sun was shining on the water. The fresh air and exertion began to calm my mind. I tried to feel into this strange new place. Was this meant to be my place, too?
At the very moment of that question, something in the woods by the riverbank caught my eye. A boathouse had been tagged with one small piece of graffiti. I stopped in my tracks.
All alone on the boathouse wall was a little spray-painted heart. In the middle of the heart was written my name: Kate.
Life was definitely winking at me!
I had no idea what was ahead, but something inside me relaxed. It felt like a friendly wave from the world, saying “Come this way! You’re on the path!”
If you want these clues – these “life winks” to find you, the key is to make yourself available. Life needs to be able to interrupt your thoughts and catch your eye.
That means getting out of your head, your hotel, your house and putting yourself anywhere you might just cross paths with someone – or something – that gives you exactly what you need to hear in this moment.
It can be easy to forget to do this, especially when in the times of work-from-home and zoom socializing. But if you’re looking for a wink and a nod from the Universe, start by stepping out into it deliberately.
Expect nothing. Focus on enjoying the world as you find it. Then – when you least expect it – Life might just wink at you!
Love,
Kate
PS – My new single, Intersection, is a song for calling in life winks. Listen to it on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, and all your other favorite listening platforms.
PPS – If you know someone who could use a life wink, I’d love it if you shared this post with them!