Hello, welcome to Level Up! With Shay. I’m Shay! I’m so glad you’re here.
Psst. This is also an audio podcast episode 🙂 Listen here
Happy Thanksgiving week to you all! Hopefully you got to celebrate in whatever way makes you happy! I wasn’t sure what I was going to talk about this week. The past 3 blogs have been kind of heavy, talking about myself and my healing. But the good news…I’m all healed! I have nothing else to talk about! Haha. Kidding! But I do appreciate those who have read my stories and maybe you have related in some sort of way as well.
This week though, I want to talk about the little things and how taking care of the little things for myself has completely changed the way I navigate my days and my interactions – which are also little things.
The other day I was talking with my mom about signs and serendipity. She said she loves when certain songs come on because it reminds her of someone or something and it would make her feel a sense of calm, safety and gratitude. I thought, I definitely have songs that remind me of certain people, places, and things (mostly breakups! lol) but I have something else that brings me back to a sense of calm, safety and gratitude. And that’s something I wanted to share with you today.
Have you heard of angel numbers?
They are ‘recurring sequences of numbers that have spiritual significance.’ I would be driving in my car or walking on the sidewalk or working on my computer and see numbers like ‘888’ or ‘111’ or ‘333’ and so on, very often. I started to Google what these meant and got hooked on these things because, like astrology, which I also love, and know very little about (haha) they coincided with what I had been going through at the time.
It felt like the Universe was nudging me in the right direction.
For example, ‘888’ is a reminder to thank the Universe for blessings and miracles that enter your life and trust that everything is always working out not only for your highest good but for the highest good of all.
Or ‘111’ indicates that your dreams are being manifested. You’re attracting abundance and prosperity into your life.
And ‘333’ is a sign of significant growth in a positive direction, so have confidence in yourself moving forward, knowing that this is the best time to focus on thinking positively. It’s also a sign of balance, and it’s ok to laugh, let your hair down, be in the present moment, and have a little more fun!
So, as you can see, they have very positive meanings and it’s something I was able to turn to when I felt like I needed some encouragement or some clarity. I still sometimes look up the meanings to angel numbers, but now I have one number that is one I look to and see quite often.
And that number is 44.
444 gives me a little extra nudge. I only realized later that my jersey number for college basketball was 44. I had never even thought of 44 being lucky before that, mostly because I had been so caught up in life, I felt like I rarely had a sense of grounding back then.
It looks like the Universe had my back all along.
The meaning of the number 44 is related to achievements, accomplishing goals, putting in hard work, and laying foundation or grounding. Seeing master number 44 can mean you are driven to achieve your goals, need reassurance to keep going, or need to build a foundation on which to build.
If you know me, that is what I’m all about. Goals, achievement, hard work, grounding. I no longer make achievement my identity but it’s a value I have and something I love. And something I’ve been able to find a place for in my life that doesn’t sacrifice my happiness or relationships.
Let me ask you this – Have you ever had a time where you were just down and out and then you saw a billboard or a little chalk sign outside of a coffee shop and it had something simple and inspirational on it like “Believe in every dream you’ve got.” “Keep your head up” or “This is how we brew it.” They really know how to get you with those coffee puns… But you’re in a crappy mood and then you see these signs and your mood changes completely? You start to smile at people on the sidewalk, tip a little more at the coffee shop, or let someone who’s merging on the highway in front of you.
These small and subtle signs offer you a change in perspective.
Whatever you needed to see at that moment, it was there for you. Someone else could look at that same sign and have a change in perspective but see a completely different type of message.
This is 44 for me. I could be cruising down the highway, annoyed at traffic, or more so the people driving in traffic. Atlanta drivers are crazy, yo. And can I tell you, a lot of times when people cut me off or are driving very slow, my eyes will go to their license plate and what do ya know? 44.
I see that, smile, sit back in my seat, and enjoy the ride. I also have a few affirmations or mantras that I use to really solidify that message.
I am safe.
I am grateful.
I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Good things are coming.
This also happens quite a bit when I’m sitting at my computer, annoyed with something I have to do or that I’m up so early, or whatever it is and I’ll see “6:44, 12:44, 3:44, 4:44” and I’ll be reminded “I am safe. I am grateful. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. Good things are coming.”
Now, you don’t have to pick the number 44 or any of the affirmations I tell myself. These are the anchors I need for my life and experience and it may not be the same for you.
Sometimes we just ride out our day without some type of anchor to keep us grounded – to keep us reminded of all the good things in life. We wake up early, go to bed late, with a whole bunch of work in between, answering the calls and obligations of others that we never have a chance to stop and be reminded that we are ok.
I created this habit within the last year or so and I’m telling you, a lot of the things that used to annoy me before, such as someone cutting me off in traffic or being behind someone slow, don’t annoy me anymore.
(Also, quick tip…one of the secrets to not getting annoyed driving behind someone who’s slow, is to make sure you leave early to get to your desired destination on time (cough cough).
But ok, do I have my moments when I get annoyed? Yes. I’m not perfect. But I try my best to not cause unwanted and unnecessary trouble in traffic, I am happier and optimistic more of the time, and I know that this grounding technique has caused a positive ripple effect in my life.
I think causing a positive ripple effect with yourself or with others is one of the most important things you can do.
Along with my 44 angel number, I also meditate when I start my days. Brush my teeth, make my bed, and meditate. And only for 10 minutes! But those short 10 minutes cause a ripple effect throughout my day. I’m kinder, more patient, more understanding and if something comes up that triggers me, I can better deal with that situation because of the 10 minutes of meditation I did earlier that day.
When I started seeing the number 44 often, it would be a nice reminder, it would change my mood for a minute, and then that would turn into a few minutes, and then longer. But because I’ve been doing it for quite a while and consistently, it has absolutely caused a positive ripple effect in all areas of my life.
I see so many people stressing about situations or people they have no control over, when what we all should be focusing on is doing the small things that matter.
Doing small, positive things causes positive ripple effects in your life.
One amazing thing about choosing a number or object to give meaning to in order to ground yourself doesn’t take time at all. It’s not some exercise you have to do everyday for an hour. Nothing needs to be written down or recorded.
If you don’t have anything like this already, it’s something great to start off with. And as you continue, I encourage you to find the activities that will give you the biggest ripple effects for the shortest amount of time. Like meditating for 10 minutes a day. Or reading for 10 minutes a day. I understand we make it hard to make time for these things, but I promise you, it makes all the difference.
Emily Dickinson has a quote that says…
“If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves. You can gain more control over your life by paying closer attention to the little things.”
If you ain’t’ gonna listen to me, listen to Emily Dickinson!
The little things are important.
Reminding yourself that you are safe, you are grateful, you are exactly where you’re supposed to be, and you have good things coming to you. It’s true. It’s all true.
And it’s true because you BELIEVE it’s true.
What is something small you do or can start doing to cause positive ripple effects in your life? Share in the comments below! Can’t wait to read!
P.S. I’m hosting an online humor workshop for anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and laugh, connect, be silly, and decompress! It’s on December 4th at 10am PST / 1pm EST, spots are filling up and I’d love to have you in there! Go to www.shaydbeats.com to find out more and to register!
Hope you have a great rest of your day and it’s time to level up!
Thanks for reading!
This blog post is also a podcast episode on Level Up! With Shay. You can listen here.
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