Think Like the Universe: Life Is All About Expansion

Why it's time to leave the idea of "progress" behind.

Today, Niv would like to talk to us about moving forward, and what it means to move forward.

Have you felt like you were moving “backwards” or not making “enough progress”? If so, this article might provide a useful new perspective to consider.

Introduction

Here’s a brief introduction to this article from Niv:

“As we talk about expansion and progress and how these two concepts differ, we would like to keep reminding you that our path, the path that you might choose to travel with us, is all about joyful growth. So if a concept does not bring you joy, then either it makes sense to replace the concept with another concept or to evaluate how you understand something.

Now, in this article, we ask you to replace the concept progress with another: expansion. And you might notice how one concept feels so much more aligned with the idea of joyful growth than the other one.

We want you to feel good as you go about living your life and creating the changes you want to see in your life. The journey has to feel good as well. Why? Because when you create from a joyful state, the results are generally so much more pleasurable.

So it makes sense to take the time to get into a positive state before you are taking an action. For instance, we would much rather have you work out with joy, or cook with joy, or take a walk with joy, or even clean up with joy.

Now, this might not always be possible, and that is completely fine as well. We just want to introduce the idea of living from an expansive place, and that includes a lot of joy. With that said, let's go into more details.”

A Higher Perspective on Progress

Many times, people think they are only making progress if things are getting better, based on their current assessment of the situation.

Nothing could be further from the truth, when seen from a higher perspective.

Progress has never been the straight arrow that the human mind conceives it to be, something that fits into a neat box and that is easily measurable and quantifiable.

Life is much messier (or shall we say: alive?) than that.

From a higher perspective, progress is inevitable if you align with yourself, and the currency it is measured in is a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction. This includes:

• more self-love,

• more trust in the universe/process/self/other people,

• more joy,

• more equanimity,

• more of a sense of being in the right place at the right time,

• having more of the conditions that help you flourish (time, resources, supportive relationships, etc.).

That said, when considering your life, we recommend using a different word than “progress” (which has gotten so intertwined with the idea of linear improvements).

In the higher realms, words such as expansion are preferred.

Progress ≠ Expansion

While progress is one-directional (from past to present, from the left corner of your screen to the right corner of your screen, from point A to point B), expansion works very differently.

Expansion is omni-directional, it happens in all directions.

Consider the universe. There’s a reason humans say that the universe “expands” instead of “progresses”. The universe expands into all directions, creating entire worlds along the way.

If you want to feel more aliveness, start to think like the universe and focus on Eternal Expansion!

This is easy to do since you are made of the stuff of the universe. Materially (as in, the components of the universe created your physical body) and spiritually (as in, your soul is a fractal of the whole universe).

Forever Moving Forward: How to Live a Life of Expansion

Since progress is uni-directional, it can seem like you are moving backwards when you believe in the idea of progress. In this example, moving backward is similar to a dancing choreography, where you take one step forward and one step back.

However, the idea of backward movement is an illusion. Taking a step forward and then back doesn’t leave you in the same spot as before. As the saying goes, you cannot jump into the same river twice.

Expansion means that once you made a certain experience, you can never unmake it. Squeezed out toothpaste does not go back to the tube. Butterflies do not go back to being caterpillars. Babies (or grown adults, for that matter) do not go back into the womb.

Because expansion is omni-directional, you can never move backwards. Undoing expansion would be like trying to stuff toothpaste back in the tube.

What you can do (especially if you currently experience conditions you do not like) is to create what you do like, right here, right now. For instance, you can get yourself a pristine new toothpaste. Problem solved. :)

In other words, you build on what you currently have. You don’t just go back to a previous state where your current reality doesn’t exist.

That’s great news because it would be seriously disorienting if you could go back to a previous state. Can you imagine how weird it would be if your home planet blinked out of existence whenever the universe took a step back?

When considering that example, it’s obvious that the universe expands (as opposed to progresses). The same is true for you. You have never gone back to a previous state, you have only gone forward to a (desired or undesired) state.

You are born anew in every moment, and you are forever moving forward.

How to apply this to your life

Let’s make this very practical. Here’s a process you can use any time you want to improve something in your life.

• Pick an area you would like to make “progress” in. For instance: “I want to make progress in fitness journey.”

• Change the terminology and use “expansion” instead. For instance: “I want to expand in my fitness journey.”

• Take a moment to notice how the two statements feel different.

• Write down ideas of what an expansion in your chosen area might look like. For instance: “I want to expand in my fitness journey. I want to have fun trying out new workouts. I want to work out with joy. I want to stay mindful of my intention, which is to feel good and look good. I want to be amazed by what my body can do, and how strong and capable I am.”

• Keep your intention in mind, as you focus on the changes you want to create. If you notice yourself switching back to the idea of progress/linear improvements, remember that life is all about expansion.

If you like, let us know how it goes! :)