An amazing thing happened to me. I was concluding a meeting and had a long bike ride in the hot sun ahead of me. I had no water on me. I was returning to where I had locked my bike and considering where I could buy water or a sports drink. Then I noticed on the handlebar of my bike a bag with two big cold bottles of Gatorade in it. A construction worker saw my approach, claimed the bag of Gatorade and apologized. I joked, "I was wondering how someone knew I wanted a Gatorade." The construction worker said, "You know what..." and he handed me one of the bottles. He insisted I take it. We touched bottles and offered each other cheers.

That is a very obvious example of a gift from the universe. What else can be construed as a gift from the universe? Literally everything. "What about things like the Holocaust?" you ask. There are few if any people who can genuinely witness the higher order functioning  in events such as the Holocaust. Our reason and emotions are just not up to the task. But, nevertheless, if the universe were a commercial it might sound like, "Try Gatorade given to you at your thirstiest by a stranger, brought to you by the same universe that gave you the Holocaust."

Wait.

What?

Double take.

We are expected to see the universe that gives us gifts as the same one that brings us suffering? But how? Imagine you are sitting on the ground playing a board game like a child. Then someone walks up and kicks all of your pieces off the board. The universe is such a game, only the person who kicked all of your pieces off is also a piece in the game. There is nothing that is not a piece in the game. And the point of the game, the way we win, is by being truly happy in such a way that the maximum possible amount of other people can also be truly happy.

The universe may be in charge of when and where you receive "gifts," but you are in charge of staying alert and making the absolute most of your turn, for the sake of you, for the sake of the other players, and for the sake of the universe (all of which, by the way, are one).

To explore this perspective more deeply and to ask me questions, schedule a spiritual consultation with me.