The Universe Always Has Your Back

Even when you think it doesn’t.

I wrote an entire book that never saw the light of day, for somebody else.

I did not get paid.

I spent about a year working with this person, who I considered a spiritual teacher.

She asked for my support to get her work out into the world — to tell her story, help her promote it, and land speaking gigs. And then we would both reap the financial benefits to support ourselves and fund the project.

I flew across the country twice to meet with her, one time spending a very uncomfortable two weeks at her home, where she continued to change her mind on the direction of the book.

The second time I went I had the book just about complete, and while she flitted off to Mexico I stayed with her dog and finished putting it all together.

Only for her to come home and decide she didn’t want to do this project with me anymore.

Devastated, scared, and running out of money, I flew home.

Hey Big U!

We had this final push to get the book together because we had attended a Hay House writers conference, and as part of the deal they offered a contest to submit a book proposal, the top prize being a contract with them.

We had set a massive intention to enter and win this contest, which would catapult the book and her work out into the world.

I was sick over the thought of missing this opportunity, and all the work I had put in to get there.

So on that flight home, I wrote an outline. An outline for the book that had been in my heart for a long time, but I was too scared to put myself out there. I didn’t trust what I had to say.

Fueled by this huge rejection — rejection of my work, and rejection by someone who I looked up to as my spiritual teacher — my own book was conceived.

There was no time to hem and haw about it — the deadline for the book proposal was looming so I had to get to work.

And work I did!

I got a few chapters written.

I hired an editor.

I learned how to craft a book proposal the way they wanted it.

I wrote my very first book proposal.

And I submitted it all on time.

Did I win?

No, I didn’t win, which came with a lot of emotion and doubt. You can read more about that above if you’d like.

What’s up Big U?

Although it took me a few days to recover and to stop feeling like I totally sucked, I realized I had an actual book in the works. My book. Hell if I wasn’t going to finish it.

I decided I would self publish and got to work on finishing the writing. Even though I no longer had a deadline, I felt compelled to work on it.

I was compelled to get it done.

And get it done I did!

I ended up self-publishing through Hay House, and although it was a huge learning curve and I made some mistakes …

I am a published author!

And honestly, I am really proud of that.

Not because I think it’s the greatest book ever written. I’m proud of myself that I didn’t give up after a few pretty major rejections.

And although I always find something I’d like to rewrite or edit when I pick it up, I’m proud of the finished product.

But most of all I am grateful that I didn’t lose faith that the Universe did indeed have my back.

If I had continued to work with the person I was writing for, I probably still wouldn’t have a finished product, and even if I did, it wouldn’t be my voice.

Entering the two contests got me to the point where it would be foolish to give up — I had already put in so much work, was I really just going to flush it down the toilet? No.

And I have learned from other authors that publishing with a big name doesn’t guarantee anything.

So the message here:

When something seems to be going terribly wrong, it’s always happening for a reason. At the time, unfortunately, we are not going to know what that reason is.

That’s when we have to lean back on our faith in the Universe, our faith that the Universe always has our back.

And then we can move forward, despite our disappointment or sadness, and find out what even better things the big U has in store.

Don’t miss a thing — subscribe to receive my stories as soon as they’re published.