Alignment: A Place Where My Higher Self Lives

A Guest Post By: Lindsey Brave

Awake and Aligned by Nova Wightman was brought into my world by a very important person: my dad. He heard Nova on a local radio show and knew instantly that her book was something both of us needed in our lives. Awake and Aligned has since been passed around and shared with other family members and friends. Needless to say, it is a very special book to me and my family. Allow me to tell you why.

Throughout my 26 years, I have been looking for answers to the big questions. The usual existential ones of course like the meaning of life and death, but one question has remained constant for me. How can I create a better life for myself? A life where I am happy, peaceful, loving, financially stable…all of the good stuff. For years I’ve felt this better life calling to me, but I wasn’t sure how to answer.

On this quest for growth, I delved into many self-help and mind/body/soul healing books. I learned about many of the popular tools for achieving a “successful” life like the law of attraction, visualization, manifestation, gratitude, meditation, etc. While these strategies all sounded great, I found some difficulty implementing them fully into my life.

For me, Awake and Aligned combined all of those tools in an approachable, realistic, and positive manner, that made changing my life seem achievable. I dove into this book headfirst and resurfaced with a fresh and awakened perspective. With Nova’s book, I was able to learn and practice ways to bring more goodness into my life, and have that goodness brought back to me.

After reading and earnestly completing all of the book’s practical applications, the biggest “aha moment” for me was understanding the importance of alignment.

I’d heard that word thrown around a lot before. To me, “alignment” sounded like a word reserved for the yogi’s sitting front row in an advanced yoga class. Thankfully, Nova introduced a whole new meaning to the word I once dismissed as, “not being for me.” Now, alignment serves as a guiding light for how I live my life.

As a person who has experienced chronic anxiety throughout their entire life, my brain has seemed almost wired to fear, worry, and stress about the unknowns. My mind loooooves mulling over all the details of what could or could not happen in life. So when faced with an unknown or new challenge, my mind tends to go into overdrive wanting to figure everything out. It wants the security of knowing what the future holds.

Of course, that’s impossible. Thankfully, Nova offered me an alternative.

Instead of spending mental energy focusing on the negative, I can redirect that energy to bring me back to a good place. Yup, to alignment. A place where my higher self lives. Where I can be Who I Really Am. Nova has helped guide me to understand how being in a state of alignment (whenever possible), allows life to fall into place without the mind needing to interfere.

So here I am today, discovering and adding in more activities that bring me into alignment with my highest self, and simultaneously pulling away from things that take me out of alignment. Some of the activities that align with Who I Really Am include exercising, playing with my dog, reading, bike riding, writing, and spending time with my close friends and family. Being able to clearly identify those was a powerful change. Of course I’ve fallen in and out of alignment since. Sometimes things go wrong, but now I know I have a grounding center to go back to and get myself back on track.

Maintaining a state of alignment has already manifested as positive outcomes in my life.

The most concrete manifestation was buying my first car. Being on a really tight budget and harsh deadline, my options were limited. I had worries about finding a reliable car that wouldn’t blow up my bank account (cue mental stress). For weeks I had scoured craigslist, hoping that the right one would fall into my lap. Eventually, it did, at just the right time too. It was perfect. Right in my budget. A used, reliable, and affordable car that allows me to visit family and embark on adventures.

I’ve also noticed improvements in the relationship with my family and partner. Tough conversations are eased, and the light ones feel freer. My eyes have been opened to see miracles in the everyday moments. The flowers blooming. A bird’s song. A loved one’s smile. Sometimes it feels as though a guiding force turns my attention, and points these mini-miracles out to me. It’s almost like someone gently saying, “Don’t miss this.” Above all else, I feel more connected with myself, my true self, and knowing who that is.

Now I keep a list of the key points from Awake and Aligned in my kitchen. I refer back to it when I need a reminder (which is pretty often).

Awake and Aligned gave me hope that I could build a better life for myself, and empowered me to believe I could.

Endlessly grateful,

Lindsay Brave

Lindsay is a writer, researcher, and self-proclaimed vegan introvert. She creates meaningful wellness content to support people wanting to build better lives for themselves and others. Lindsay spends her free time reading, making up dance moves (when no one’s watching), upping her self-care routine, and seeking attention from her cat and dog. Connect with Lindsay on Instagram @thrivehappy and her blog www.thrivehappy.us