The universe to always talking to you, but are you hearing it? Follow these steps to learn how to recognize signs from the universe.

Do you ever feel like the universe is trying to tell you something, but you just don’t understand the message? Do you find yourself seeking answers to questions in your life and never quite finding a solution? You might feel this way because you aren’t fully aware of the “language” of the universe. The answers are likely right in front of you. The “language barrier” with the universe is a major hindrance for many; once you’re able to learn the lingo, your experience of life will only grow. The universe speaks to us all the time. We don’t always recognize the messages or realizations because the universe speaks through experience. In Vedic wisdom, a lot of attention is placed on the importance of becoming more aware of your life experiences. We draw conceptually from these traditions, the idea that human beings are a consciousness event—and that you exist for the purpose and function of experience. So what medium could possibly be more effective for communication than life itself?

Here are some tips on how you can begin to decode yourself and your life, and to understand more about the awesome experience unfolding around you.

Cultivate the Desire to Receive
This is a valuable yet often overlooked starting point for any kind of life exploration. Sometimes we ask questions while simultaneously holding some apprehension about the answers. When posing questions to the universe or to our higher self, this apprehension is noted. Remember that ultimately the universe is always giving you love. If you’re not ready to receive, you won’t. Be honest with yourself and about the questions you have in life. Are you willing to change? Cultivate a true desire to hear from the universe. Be willing to accept the answers no matter how or through whom they come. You may receive your answers from a stranger, an unlikely source, a random occurrence or even a billboard. The possibilities are endless. However, you must truly seek it out before it will be revealed to you.

Pay Attention
The universe doesn’t have any limits on how it will speak to you. For example, a person may show up at your workplace wearing a T-shirt with a particular phrase on it. Maybe you’ll notice patterns in dealing with the people in your life, such as conversations about a specific topic that you cannot escape for a few days. The intelligence of the universe is boundless. It’s always connected to you and seeking to strengthen its connection with you. You may not always realize this, particularly if you’re in the midst of struggle. Pay more attention to what you’re experiencing. Why ask a question, in order to just ignore the answer? Watch your environment a little more closely during these times of seeking. You may be surprised at what pops out at you when you actually pay attention. Find balance anywhere, anytime with the new Chopra App. Download it now for hundreds of personalized guided meditations at your fingertips.

Make Note of Recurring Experiences
As you begin to pay more attention to the occurrences and stimulus in your life, you may notice some repeats; make note of them. You don’t have to write these recurring experiences or themes down, although it would be helpful. These repeats pop for a reason. For example, let’s say you’re looking for a new job. You’re not having any luck and you begin to get a little distressed about the situation. For some reason you find that you are constantly bumping into this stranger around town in the most random places. You may notice something about this person, be it their style of dress or their vehicle, or maybe even something more nuanced. One day you happen to strike up conversation and find out that they’re working at this fabulous company that is presently hiring. This is an example of Synchrodestiny. While this is a hypothetical scenario, these are the kind of situations that turn out to be the signs from the universe. The universe is not subtle. When a message is sent, it’s meant to be heard loud and clear. Just because we do not get it at first doesn’t mean that it’s not there. Sometimes these messages will be sent repeatedly until we get them. So pay attention, make note, and begin to unlock those hidden potentialities in the recurring experiences of your life.

Fine Tune Your Sensitivity
To become more aware of the signs from the universe, pay more attention to your self. Remember that you and the universe are one, which means a true sign from creation should resonate with you on some level. Even if you don’t understand it, your higher facilities will alert you that something is significant about the occurrence, person, or symbol. We all have our own levels of awareness. This skill can be cultivated by anyone through self-reflection and meditation. The more you allow yourself to tune into your intuition and inner world, the more loudly and clearly your dialogue with the universe becomes.

Surrender
Once you begin to recognize and engage with the signs around you, remember that you have the power to see whatever you want to see. If you want the universe to say something, you will bend it to meet your desire. This may not be the universe speaking to you. To avoid this problem, you need to completely surrender. If you want an answer or sign from the universe on a specific topic, you must release your personal investment in the answer. Just allow it to come. If you truly want to experience the real thing, then allow the experience to be more important than the answer you derive from it. Don’t shortchange yourself by placing words in the universe’s proverbial mouth. If you’re seeking answers, then you don’t have the answers. Keep that in mind and surrender.

Don’t Overcomplicate the Sign
You may get lost as you seek out the truth. You may receive a sign but then continue to seek out more instead of getting the message. The universe expresses a great deal of genius in simplicity. This truth can be seen in nature all the time. Most things just are, period. If the universe tells you “go left,” don’t hinder yourself by trying to figure out why and how and at what point to make the turn. Just do it! In a lot of ways, we humans tend to get in our own way, and this can be true when it comes to receiving signs as answers. In other words, if you see something significant on the side of a bus, don’t take it upon yourself to follow the bus and interview its passengers at each stop. If a person says something to you that is profound in a specific way and at a particular moment, it doesn’t mean you must get to know this individual. The universe is what is speaking to you in that moment, which is why you felt that momentary impact. This person or thing is more than likely just a carrier of the intelligence so that it reaches you in the right way.

Receive Fully
You are always engaged in conversation with the universe. Sometimes, a profound moment of realization or a sign may only be part of the message. Continue to receive. Remember: when you know or need to know, you will. There will be no confusion or doubt about what is being said. Seek out this kind of relationship with the universe and it will most certainly support it. Don’t allow yourself to get part of the message and end up more lost. Trust in the source, within and outside of yourself. Signs are not meant to be ambiguous, even if they appear to be so at first. Seek and find, then receive fully, in order to find your truth. Recognizing and receiving information through signs depends on willingness, earnest seeking, and just plain listening.

The universe is always here to help us, so let it help, and pay attention to what it is telling you.