When You Ask, Is It Really Given?
There is this spiritual saying you may have heard that goes like this; ‘ask and it is given’.
It speaks to the universal law of attraction and how everything we want is within our grasp.
I’m in a phase of life right now where the things I want are flying at me with record speed. I ask and a version of it is, as the saying goes, given.
If you’re feeling triggered by the above statement (easy for you to say Jewelia), keep reading. I’m with you. Just, stay with me…
Here are 3 examples:
A BIKE – I traveled to a new place and knew before coming here that I needed a bike. I semi browsed Facebook marketplace, not really committing to anything that I saw. I decided to just figure it out when I got here. What happened? Virtually without doing anything, the bike was presented to me in the form of my landlord sending me a text saying; “Oh and if you need it, here’s a bike”
A SURFBOARD – I was going back & forth between buying a board but feeling hesitant about committing to the purchase. After mentally ruminating, I met a neighbour who gave me the option of borrowing his if I wanted.
A CAR – With a sister trip in the books, I wanted a car to explore the island. A rental would’ve easily cost $1,000 USD for 7 days. Because of that, I decided to wait a bit before booking. Holding out hope that something would come through. The next day, I ran into a lady on the beach who told me she had a 2nd car and would love to do an exchange. She lends me her car, and I take her dogs on daily beach walks. A win win situation that I could not be more grateful for.
Based on these examples, at this particular moment in my life, ask and it is given rings true.
But what about the very real times when it’s not working? When you’re asking and the Universe seems to be saying no. Regardless of how bad you want it.
It’s the difference between an ‘in flow’ state and a ‘could not be more out of flow if i tried’ phase. Otherwise known as seriously out of luck.
We all go through these phases. Highs & lows. Momentum & stuck-ness. The extremes are just that. Very very extreme.
It could be an energetic thing, or it could simply be the fact that sometimes it’s your time and other times it’s not.
“We call something good, we call something bad but really, we just don’t know”- a quote from the brilliant Pema Chödrön
When nothing has worked out for myself in the past I just had to be in it. Like really fully feel the frustration of the situation.
And then I had to zoom out…taking myself out of the situation and into bigger picture thinking.
The time will come, just not quite yet. Perhaps we’re held back from things so that other things can take root.
Don’t you think that’s an easier, freer way of living? It creates space for good. It takes some of the pressure off.
So; How can we be more gracious (and a little more forgiving) of ourselves and the Universe when things don’t go our way? Here are some tricks…
Get yourself a small win. (And then celebrate it!) Anything to shift your state will be impactful here. Send the email, do the meditation, go on that hike near your place. Small action, small win. This creates momentum. Remember to focus on the action, and not the result. Let the action be enough, regardless of what it brings.
Know when to move forward and when to surrender. This is the difference between continuing to work hard (i.e. pushing for something to happen), and letting go of your preferences. Your intuition will provide, telling you what to do. If it doesn’t, talk through it with a trusted friend.
Trust. Everything comes back to trust. How do you bring unwavering faith to situations that feel like a struggle? It’s about having an inherent knowledge that someone or something has got you. You’re supported. You’re being guided. And they will step in. If they haven’t yet, when the time comes they will. Have a faith you can fall back on.
Find a mantra & stick with it. One of my meditation teachers once told me that the mantras we repeat in meditation are meant to sit on our heart, not in it. So that when we are breaking, the mantras are there. Ready to fall into our hearts, ready to soothe. Entirely there to bring reassurance.
Maybe when we ask, it is being given. Just in a different way, following a different timeline. Maybe in the end it’s that timeline — the one we least expected that is taking us to where we want to be.
Back to you — what is your belief around the term ‘ask & it is given’? Can you relate to this post? Let's talk through it in the comment section below. xx