When the Universe Whispers Back
I shared a couple of days ago about an in-person workshop that I’m offering—because people asked me to. How seven people clicked on the link, three responded to my personal texts with “I’m in” but never took the next step to book their seat.
I felt disappointment.
But then I also felt this strong sense of refusal to play by the rules—to not give in to the urge to hustle.
I remembered my own words:
“I’m not doing this for noise. I’m doing it for meaning.”
And, do you know what the universe did? It whispered back.
No, I still don’t have any signups. But I received three messages today: one on Substack, one as a text and one in my mailbox.
Each one was a reminder that I’ve been measuring the wrong things.
One person, who doesn’t easily connect with others, reached out to say that the Ripple Room has become a safe harbor for them.
Another shared how they’ve discovered art as healing in their 60’s, how presence has become less of a mystery by attending the Zoom sessions with me.
The third wrote thoughtfully about loneliness and connection, about being grateful that I refuse to compromise my values for metrics.
Three different people. Three different ways of saying:
“Your work matters. Keep going. The impact is real even when the numbers don’t show it.”
I’ve been looking for validation in the wrong places.
In-person gatherings aren’t the only way to know I’m creating value. Newsletter open rates aren’t the full story of connection. Bank account balances aren’t the measure of meaningful work.
Sometimes, the real response takes time to formulate, to find the right words, to arrive when you most need to hear it.
The in-person gathering might not happen in July. Or it might happen for three people in my backyard under the trees, with construction paused next door and watercolors spread on the table and no agenda except presence.
Either way, I know now that the work is working.
Because people are taking time out of their lives to tell me that something shifted.
Because I’ve created safe spaces.
Because as I heal, I’m helping others feel seen.
Because someone is thinking more deeply about what it means to connect authentically in an isolated world and sharing their thoughts with me.
The ripples are there. They’re just traveling at a different speed than I expected, arriving through different channels than I planned, touching hearts in ways that don’t show up in analytics.
This is what I keep forgetting and remembering: The most important work often happens in the quiet moments and in messages that arrive on days when you most need to be reminded that what you’re building matters.
The universe doesn’t always applaud.
But when it responds, it does so with intention, with care, and sometimes in cursive from real humans whose lives have been touched by your refusal to compromise presence for performance.
