Trusting life might take a few mindset shifts.
Life doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes it hits hard—like losing a job, facing a health scare, or watching a dream slip away. In those moments, our instinct is often to fight, fix, or force our way through. But what if the most powerful thing we can do is… float?
That’s the message from Dr. Matt Townsend, who shared a radically gentle approach to navigating life’s hardest moments. His advice? Don’t give up—but do give in. Trust life, trust the current, and trust yourself. “Instead of treading water to save your life, maybe what you could do is just take a big deep breath, lean back a little bit, and just float.”
Shift #1: Your Inner World Shapes Your Outer World
We often believe that our circumstances define us. We think our job title, our income, or our relationship status is what gives us value. But Dr. Matt challenged that belief. “We think the job is what makes us… but the reality is, everything on the inside of the body is what’s attracting everything outside to you,” he said. In other words, your thoughts, emotions, and energy are what shape your reality. If your energy is rooted in fear or scarcity, you’ll project that into the world. But if it’s grounded in trust and faith, you’ll begin to attract peace, opportunity, and connection.
You don’t need to fix everything. You don’t even need to control your emotions. Just start by noticing them. Awareness is the first step toward transformation.
Shift #2: Life is a Dance, Not a Battle
When life feels chaotic, we often try to control every detail. We plan, push, and micromanage, hoping that effort will protect us from pain. But that kind of control is exhausting—and often ineffective. “Nature doesn’t force itself. It just slowly allows things to happen,” Dr. Matt emphasized.
He invited us to see life as a dance. There will be missteps. Someone might step on your toes. But you don’t storm off the dance floor—you adjust, you pivot, you keep moving. “When we just look at it as, ‘Okay, this is just a different song,’ then we can say, ‘This is just the next step of the dance,’” Dr. Matt explained.
Shift #3: Letting Go of Control Isn’t Losing Power
Many of us equate control with strength. But real power, Dr. Matt said, comes from surrender—not in weakness, but in wisdom. “The power to surf a wave—it’s not in your ability to control it. It’s your ability to just relax and go with the wave,” he described.
When we stop gripping so tightly, we make space for something greater to unfold. We stop resisting life and start partnering with it. That’s where the magic happens. “Your power doesn’t come from everything you can control. It comes from your ability to collaborate with what’s happening,” Dr. Matt explained.
Shift #4: You Don’t Have to Know What’s Next to Feel Safe
Anxiety often stems from our desire to predict and control the future. But peace lives in the present. “When you’re worried about the future, that is what drives anxiety… If you were actually living presently, you wouldn’t have any thought for tomorrow,” Dr. Matt emphasized.
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to be here, now. The more grounded you are in the present, the more open you’ll be to what’s coming next.
Shift #5: The Universe Isn’t Ignoring You—It’s Redirecting You
When things fall apart, it’s easy to feel abandoned. But what if the detour is actually divine? “It might be the universe saying, ‘Over there. Try another beach,’” Dr. Matt said.
Sometimes, the silence isn’t rejection—it’s redirection. Life may be guiding you to a better path, even if it’s not the one you expected. “The universe… it is incredibly on your side. Everything is aligned for your life,” Dr. Matt emphasized.
Shift #6: Live Like It’s All Working Out
Because it is. “You’re already a one in 400 trillion being. Your odds are well in your favor. You’ve already created a miracle,” Dr. Matt said.
Even when you can’t see it, the next wave is coming. Breathe. Float. Trust. “Just look over your shoulder and the next wave will come. It always comes,” he emphasized.
Final Thought: Let It Be
You already have the peace you’re looking for—it’s just waiting for you to notice it. “Just let it be,” Dr. Matt said.
Whether you’re in the middle of a storm or floating in still waters, remember: you don’t have to fight your way through. You can trust life. You can trust yourself. And you can trust that the next wave is on its way.
Find more advice from Dr. Matt at matttownsend.com.
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