You are the co-director of this movie called life. It’s you and the universe. Like any great co-director, there’s got to be a little give and take. Naturally, we want a good relationship with our co-director. We’ve got to be open to their ideas, but we also have our own vision we need to respect and honor.

Oftentimes, we fall into one of two extremes: victim or control freak. As victims, we feel helpless and we can easily fall into depression and pessimism. This does a disservice to our co-director and to the movie of our life.

Control freaks are just no fun to work with. They become rigid, angry, and their partners will not feel safe sharing their ideas. The filmmaking process suffers and so does the movie, not to mention the entire cast and crew.

Extremes are easy. Finding balance in the middle takes work, but this middle path will lead to the most rewarding experience. The best films are collaborations, where partners inspire each other to be greater than the sum of their parts. 

Every great partnership is built on trust. I learned very young that even though I wanted to be in the NBA, the universe had other ideas for me. To find our path, we must listen to our heart but also trust when the universe is trying to tell us something. Luckily our co-director, the universe, is very wise. Like Stanley Kubrick level genius.

There will be many guides, sages, and experienced travelers we’ll meet who will help us along on our way. This YouTube video is what I have learned from my journey, and I hope it helps you on yours.

Here’s What I Would Like You to Do This Week:

Start to see everything in your life as a sign from the universe. If your plans get derailed, instead of panicking, stay open to the new direction your life will take. Stay open to new opportunities that appear when one door closes. 

Steven Spielberg said about working on Jaws that even though they had a very small budget and a robotic shark that kept breaking, every obstacle was an opportunity to come up with a creative solution that made the movie even better. So instead of showing a fake-looking shark, they just played that scary music and let the audience imagine a scary shark. This was a much more terrifying experience for the audience because the fear of sharks comes from the fact that we can’t see them under water. This is how we can approach every challenge in our own lives as well. To find creative solutions, we have to stay positive, curious and open.

It may sound silly to look for signs and synchronicities to decide our life choices, but this has never failed me. There have even been studies done that show when people follow what they believe to be their predetermined destiny, they’re more likely to achieve their dreams because of their unshakable faith in themselves and the universe.

Whatever you do, you were meant to do it. Infinite factors go into everything we do, and our little choices are just one of those countless factors that are based on a billion other factors. So don’t waste time worrying or regretting. Only you will live your unique life, so make it an exciting one. Luckily, you’ve got a great co-director.

I share more about becoming the co-director of your life in my new book, Aloneness to Oneness: 22 Life Lessons to Change the Way You See the World, now available on Amazon.

Much love, 

Todd

PS – Someone at some time in your life has broken your trust, not cared for you the way you deserved, abused or taken advantage of you. In my latest podcast episode, I share 3 ways to overcome betrayal trauma.