Signs, Sunflowers, & Synchronicity
/“Facing the sun is a choice a sunflower makes every single day.”
Have you ever noticed how a sunflower closes its petals when light is dim and darkness draws near? And when the light from the sun shines through, the sunflower spreads its petals far and wide?
Sunflowers make any dark day feel a little bit brighter.
I’ve always loved sunflowers. I remember planting sunflowers in the garden when I was a child. And when I say planting, I mean we’d throw our sunflower seeds out in the field and later the seeds would sprout and burst into big, bright sunflowers. The sunflowers that grew wildly in my yard as a child were some of the largest sunflowers I’ve seen. They were several feet tall with thick stalks, big black centers, and bright yellow petals. They made any dark day feel a little bit brighter.
I had no idea at such a young age that sunflowers would be such a profound symbol in my life as an adult.
Last year I began noticing signs from the universe. It started with seeing repeat numbers. I began to see 35 on the hour several times throughout the day. I’ve seen 35 each day for well over a year now. The numbers also grew into multiples like 11:11, 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, and 5:55. I began recording the number patterns I’d see. As I would see a number, I would look up the meaning and take them as a sign from the Universe. I now know that the ability to see and recognize signs is a gift of mine.
In May 2019, I visited Six Eagles Haven for the first time. Two of my dear friends and I traveled there to support building a labyrinth. We spent the weekend collecting rocks and thoughtfully laying them throughout the labyrinth. It was one of the most profound spiritual experiences I’ve had. I began noticing bees clinging to several rocks I picked up. That would be the first occurrence of many signs to come with bees.
After that trip, I headed to California for a retreat. While on the retreat I had asked for a sign about whether or not to invest in myself and join a yearlong coaching program. We did a releasing ceremony at the beach. We each selected a rock and released it into the ocean as a symbol of letting go. I chose to let go of the limiting belief that I’m not worth it. As I walked down to the beach, I asked God to give me a sign and make it clear if I was meant to enroll in this coaching program or not. I picked up my rock and yelled out, “I’M WORTH IT!” As I released my rock into the ocean, my three bracelets that were on my wrist also released from my control into the ocean. It was my sign. I enrolled in the program and trusted that I was being called into something greater.
After I said Yes to the coaching program, we were each gifted with Alana Fairchild’s Sacred Rebels deck. The first card I drew from the deck was the Inspiration card. On the front, it has a beautiful illustration of a woman wearing a headdress with bees around it. In the message, it speaks of receiving an inspired idea or inspiration that is important to my creative and spiritual growth. It also talks about the spirit totem of the bee:
The bee is bringing you healing medicine-wisdom from nature to aid the message of the oracle of Inspiration. The bee is a powerful spirit totem. Bees are able to fly with wings that are significantly small in proportion to their heavier bodies. They can do so because of the sheer speed with which their wings move.
I wasn’t quite sure what my idea or inspiration would be. I remained open and trusted that I would be guided down the path towards bringing it to life.
Life was showing me signs. I had a choice to ignore them or follow them.
Whenever I travel, I always set an intention for each country I visit. Setting intentions supports me in being more present to what I want to achieve or experience. In August 2019, I visited Spain for the first time. As mentioned in Discovering Beauty in All Things, Spain was a healing and heart-opening journey for me. My intention for that country was to heal and open my heart to new possibilities. When I arrived in Morocco a month after my time in Spain, I pulled a card for this new country and journey. I pulled the Inspiration card…again. It was another sign that the Universe was wanting to get my attention. Just a week after pulling that card, I was met with love—something I was not expecting, and something the healing work in Spain was leading me to.
It was on this journey that I chose to bee a sunflower and face the sun.
Early in our relationship, I was referred to as a sunflower. It was sweet and endearing so I accepted it. Sunflowers began showing up more and more in my journey. I would notice them growing in the wild and painted on the sides of buildings. I would buy myself bouquets from the market and would find myself drawing them in my journal. I embodied the essence of the sunflower. After my breakup, I found myself annoyed when I would see sunflowers. I didn’t feel like a light anymore and was wanting to be in the dark not face the light.
Last month while journeying back to Colorado, I noticed sunflowers everywhere. On the side of the road, growing in the wild, and sporadically throughout the land at the retreat center where I was staying. I’d be out hiking and notice a lone sunflower shining tall and proud in the sunlight. Every time I’d see a sunflower, I’d think of my relationship and believe that it was a sign that things were shifting and maybe, just maybe, we’d realign. I finally re-framed my view and asked for guidance around why I was seeing sunflowers. Was it him? Was it coincidence? Or was it me?
One day it all clicked.
I AM the sunflower. I am seeing sunflowers as a reminder of who I AM in this world. I am a bright light who chooses to face the sun even when I’m in the dark and feel like I can’t face the light. This year has felt dark on many levels, and I somehow keep choosing to face the sun and allow my light to heal and inspire others. This is why I chose to have a sunflower as part of my new tattoo design. Its symbolism has been so profound for me, and it’s something I continue to choose and embody.
I pulled the Inspiration card again yesterday…I’m listening, Universe. I asked for guidance around what’s being birthed out of this blog challenge: Inspiration. New ideas.
“Allow inspiration to fill you with enthusiasm, an expectation of magic and marvelous synchronicity, as people, situations and opportunities fall into place to help bring your inspiration into reality. This idea has the potential to flower into so much more than you realize.”
The synchronicity of life is beautiful when you can take a step back and view it from a broader perspective. Even when you don’t know where an inspiration is leading you, or how you’re going to face the light again when everything feels so dark around you, trust the signs. Trust the light. Then one day, you will be able to connect the signs, and view them from the perspective of beauty and see the beauty and synchronicity in all of it.
“Facing the sun is a choice a sunflower makes every single day.”
Thank you to my dear soul friend, Sabine, for sharing this quote with me and seeing that I am a sunflower choosing to face the sun every single day.