Many who identify as spiritual hold the belief that everything happens for a reason, and everyone we encounter over the course of our lives is our teacher.

I’ve long held these beliefs myself, and yet it wasn’t until recently that this was really put into perspective for me.

I suppose I hadn’t connected the dots before, but I came to realize that if everyone is our teacher, then whenever anyone speaks to us, it is the Universe communicating to us through the vessel of said person, in order to teach us X, Y, or Z lessons.

So, every conversation we have is sacred.

Every conversation is an opportunity to not only commune with another being, but source energy, which is sending us a message that may, if we are open to it, lovingly guide us along our journeys.

I was recently talking to a beautiful spiritual teacher who specializes in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I was mentioning to her that whenever I sit in meditation I get back pain in my middle back. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember.

To this, she said a few things that shocked me. First, that the middle back is the back of the heart space, and so pain there is pain intertwined with the heart, with sharing one’s truth. And then she pointed out how it was interesting that it came about whenever I meditated, and that, too, it was curious that I’d told her that I’d always wondered if this was something everyone experienced, something normal—if pain, in other words, was normal. And finally she said to look into childhood for the root of this belief that pain must be normal.

I share this as I took her words to be a direct message from the Universe to do some inner child work, and to see where else in my life I was accepting any modicum of pain due to the belief that it must be normal. Basically: I took her words seriously and they have already had a profound impact on my life.

Perhaps this is an obvious example of how the Universe speaks through those in our lives. She is, after all, a spiritual teacher. She is conscious. She is connected to the divine.

But, just as I received a sage message from her, I, or you, could receive an equally sage piece of wisdom through a conversation with a loved one, an acquaintance, or even just a stranger on the street.

When was the last time you were so present in a conversation that you received divine guidance?

If you would like to walk away from your interactions with an understanding of why these experiences were woven into the fabric of your life, and what the Universe wished to convey to you, deep presence is required.

How do you know if you are being ultra present?

You are not waiting for your turn to speak, but rather listening to the other so intently that when they finish speaking, there is a gap between when you speak next, because you are now taking the space to process what they said and reply consciously.

Too, you can feel an exchange of energy with the other person. There will be a charge to the conversation. And, unless the situation is negative, you will likely feel gratitude emanating from them. Because, as John Fox wrote, “When someone deeply listens to you, it is like holding out a dented cup you’ve had since childhood and watching it fill up with cold, fresh water. When it balances on the top of the brim, you are understood. When it overflows and touches your skin, you are loved.”

Something to consider as we close, and as a starting point to opening up to the messages sent to you by the Universe:

What have my conversations this past week taught me?

What could I be meant to learn—about myself, about my relationships, about the collective consciousness (and so on)?

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