I was never raised religiously, other than going to Sunday School with my cousins occasionally and attending Christmas mass with my stepmom’s family. For most of my teen years, I had no strong belief system other than the morals instilled in me by my parents. However, that changed greatly this year, after finding a book that would re-introduce me to spirituality and completely alter my mindset.
Over quarantine, my pre-diagnosed mental illnesses (namely my depression) started to get worse. This was not a welcome change, as I had been working diligently on my mental well-being since being discharged from the psychiatric ward in January; so I knew I needed to make a change. One night, I was scrolling through self-help books on Amazon, and I came across one named The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein. After reading the description, which promised “a framework for releasing the blocks to what everyone most longs for: happiness, security, and clear direction,” I was sold. I immediately purchased the book, as well as her accompanying journal.
I probably finished the book within a week of it arriving. Gabby’s methods, exercises, and lessons felt like they were speaking directly to my soul. I started meditating again, which I had tried before at the recommendation of my family doctor, but never fully pursued. I also started journaling mindfully, taking a more spiritual approach to my thoughts and writing. With the help of Gabby’s New York Times Bestselling Novel and my own desire to become more peaceful, my life was starting to change.
Over the next few months, I kept meditating. I researched spiritual lessons and beliefs, such as manifestation, and continued to expand my knowledge on a more holistic, new-age approach to spirituality. It wasn’t a cure to my long-battled mental illness, sure; but it did change my outlook on many factors in my life that previously contributed to my unhappiness. And because I believe so strongly in my new spiritual outlook, I want to share some of my lessons with you!
1. The Universe is not “out to get you”, or purposely making your life difficult.
This lesson is the one that singlehandedly got me through quarantine. When everything I had worked so hard for – my high school graduation, living in residence, even my first university classes – were compromised by COVID-19, it was difficult to not take it as a personal attack. “Why me?” I would wonder, feeling as if the Universe was dealing me a personal serving of karma.
However, after reading Gabby’s teachings, I realized this: the Universe is not trying to make your life hard. Your purpose in life is not to deal with one hardship after another, never finding joy or peace. The universe is simply putting you on a path of growth and learning so that you can become the ultimate version of yourself.
After changing my mindset to believe this, everything became easier. No longer would I feel attacked when covid took away another one of my milestones. Instead, I would look at each event as simply a bump in the road to my final destination. Losing my last four months of high school was no longer a robbery of time with my best friends – instead, it was an opportunity to challenge myself and invest in my well-being.
2. Your outlook and perceptions directly correlate to your circumstances.
Here’s the funny thing: your circumstances and your perceptions of life are completely intertwined. Don’t believe me? Think about the last time you had a bad day. Maybe you slept in, missed a test, spilled your coffee on your white shirt, and thought to yourself, “How could this possibly get any worse?”, and then it does? That’s because your thoughts lead you to perceive only the bad things. When you start thinking about how bad your day is, you’re more likely to keep seeing the bad, so it seems like more terrible things are happening to you. In reality, there were probably lots of wonderful things happening at the same time, but you were too busy thinking negatively to see them.
I incorporate this lesson into my daily life by challenging myself to see the good as much as possible. Once, I was feeling really miserable and went for a drive with my dad. We made it to a nearby town and stopped for gas – and I locked the keys in the car. As we waited for the tow truck, I thought to myself, “What is the Universe trying to teach me at this moment?” By the time we got back into the car, we were laughing and smiling. When you re-wire your brain to see more good than bad, you set yourself up for more good things to happen to you. Period.
3. Meditate like your happiness depends on it – Because sometimes, it does.
Finally, I needed to tell you guys about meditation. Sure, you’ve heard it can be super helpful, but you’re wondering, “How is it possible to sit in silence with no thoughts for more than two seconds?”
Fortunately, it’s totally possible. If you’ve never meditated before, I suggest trying out an app with guided meditations for beginners. My favourite is Headspace! This app made mediation WAY easier for me. Instead of worrying about totally clearing all your thoughts, the guided meditations walk you through the process of noticing your thoughts and distractions, and then allowing them to pass. Life-changing.
After you get the hang of it, try different meditation styles. My favourites are meditating to music, holding crystals while I meditate, or repeating a mantra, such as “I am love”. Pro-tip: mantra meditation is really helpful for those struggling to clear their minds!
Meditation has given me back a sense of control and peace during quarantine. Whenever I feel anxious or my depression is creeping up on me, I simply take 10-15 minutes to meditate. Afterwards, I like to use my journal to reflect on my new thoughts and feelings. Trust me, it helps!
Overall, I wrote this article to share that spirituality is more than you might think. You can be spiritual and not religious. You can be spiritual in some ways but not others – maybe you feel a connection to the universe when you meditate, but you really don’t believe in the healing power of crystals. That’s totally fine! Spirituality is this really cool thing where you can take the pieces that speak to you and leave the rest. And as someone that deals with severe depression and anxiety, spirituality has changed me as a person.