When the Universe Tests Your Conviction

How to distinguish a true call of the soul from a tempting distraction.

I've been reflecting on the difficult decisions we face in life, especially those moments when one path feels deeply soul-aligned, while another feels more comfortable and familiar.

It brings up an idea from Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey: the Refusal of the Call.

When we feel the call, it's as though a part of our destiny comes from the future into the present moment and seizes us, sometimes with great force, giving us a glimpse of what might be possible.

But this possibility can also be terrifying. Sometimes, even a dysfunctional but familiar reality can feel more comfortable than stepping into the unknown. It's wild, but that's how our brains work!

There's an important distinction I want to explore here:

How do we know when we're denying a true call of the soul, and when we're simply recognizing that an exciting opportunity isn't actually aligned with our path?

This distinction is critical so that we act on opportunities that are truly aligned with our path, rather than being pulled off course by tempting distractions.

I'll give you an example from my own life.

A Golden Ticket Into Golden Handcuffs

About twelve years ago, I was living in New York City, working in the corporate world, when I finally built up the conviction to make a major life change.

I declared to myself and my family: I'm quitting my job. I'm moving to California. And I'm becoming a professional writer.

Almost immediately after making that declaration, I received a job offer from the very publication I had dreamed of working for throughout my time in New York City. It came with a big title increase and a $50,000 salary increase.

Here I was, having just decided to leave New York and that entire world behind, and suddenly I was being offered what had once been my dream job. This was quite a confusing moment.

After much discernment, I eventually realized that this was a test.

What looked like a professional golden ticket was actually a very tempting and persuasive path directly back into the professional world I had just declared I was leaving behind. And that was no longer aligned with my values.

I had already heard my call: to move to California and become a writer.

And this extraordinary professional opportunity was, in fact, a distraction from that path.

Creating Space + Allies for Discernment

It is so important to create time and space for ourselves to get clear about the choices we're making.

In my yoga therapy training, we talk about creating a kind of personal lab, a space where we can sit quietly with ourselves and observe what's happening within us.

We can ask:

Am I struggling with this decision because something from the future is calling me toward my destiny? Does this opportunity reflect the growth I'm moving toward?

Or is this opportunity actually a distraction from a path I've already committed to?

We can also work with this cognitively and somatically, asking ourselves: What does saying yes to this feel like in my body?

Ultimately, when a decision is really difficult, it usually means we are coming up against an inner edge.

Perhaps we are being challenged to walk our new talk for the first time. And that, of course, feels unfamiliar and hard.

What I find most powerful is waking up early, meditating, and creating space for my own wise voice to come through.

That quiet space allows me to listen beyond the noise, the fear, and the competing possibilities.

Back in 2014, as I was navigating that choice, I also called on the support of my former life coach, Lisa Kramer, who by no means gave me the answer, but guided me inward with tools to find that answer myself. Bless her! Sometimes we need a neutral ally to coach us to clarity, too.

I hope this reflection is helpful for you with whatever decision you might be moving through in your own life.