This is the second post in a three-part series:
Part One - The Universe Supports Us If We Learn to Listen
Part Three - Communicating with the Universe

Is the Universe Speaking to Me Through Rich Roll?

Let me set the scene:
 
It’s September 2017, and I’m at my local Trader Joes in Santa Barbara, California.
 
I overhear a couple speaking Swedish. By now you know I love me my Swedes. But my inner dialogue said: Don’t say anything. Leave them alone, Susan! Don’t say anything!! You don’t have to say hello to every freaking Swede you come across!
 
Then I hear them struggling to find bread without dairy or added sugar—both my pet peeves.
 
I ask if I can help them, and it turns out they are exploring the whole plant-based thing. After we look through the bread options, I suggest they follow Rich Roll’s stories on Instagram because not only does he advocate for a vegan lifestyle, but at that very moment, he is in Stockholm posting about his preparations for the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series.
 
The woman gets an odd look on her face. She searches her purse and pulls out her phone as she realizes her brother, who lives in Stockholm, had just run into Rich Roll, taken a selfie with him, and sent her the photo!
 
We have such a fun conversation and become fast friends.

A few months later, however, smoke from the nearby Thomas Fire permeates their home, their landlord cancels their lease, and they move back to Sweden.
 
Before we go on, it’s important to know that Rich Roll is my all-time favorite podcaster. Besides his incredible command of the English language and his insightful interviews on interesting subjects, he is the reason I became vegan and why I started the OneGreenSmoothie movement.
 
In the early days of the Rich Roll Podcast, fondly referred to as the RRP, he would often say, “It’s not about cutting things out. If people would just add one green smoothie to their day, they would see a seismic shift in their health,” hence the name, OneGreenSmoothie.
 
The thing is, I only allow myself to listen to the RRP when I run, and since I run inconsistently, I’m always behind on episodes—which brings me to this post.

Fast forward three years. Now I’m in Sweden, and my Trader Joes/Rich Roll friends invite me over for lunch.
 
That morning, I decide to go for a run. Of course, I treat myself to the next RRP in my queue, which, as usual, is a few weeks behind.
 
Remember, this is three years after my friend’s brother met Rich Roll running around Stockholm in his wetsuit preparing for ÖTILLÖ. Now I am running around Stockholm listening to Rich Roll, and in a couple of hours, am going to meet this same friend.
 
Suddenly, Rich Roll starts talking about the time he was running around Stockholm in his wetsuit preparing for ÖTILLÖ!!
 
What are the chances!?!? I get chills head to toe. It’s so remarkable I post on my OGS account that I was going to write a blog post about it on Ascended Presence.
 
But then, I stall. I complete the manifestation series, and then The Artist’s Way post is time sensitive for our 9/1 start date, and then I just have to write about the Nice White Parents podcast.
 
But if I’m honest, I just can’t see how these Rich Roll coincidences are helpful to you, dear reader. We’re all busy, and I only want to put things out into the world that add value. While this is a fun story, how is it helpful?
 
As if to hear my thoughts, the Universe seems to want to make something clear because then this even crazier thing happens!
 
A few days after I publish The Artist's Way post, I go out to run. Obviously, I queue up the next RRP episode as my reward.
 
About halfway into the run, I hear Rich talking about how he’s done The Artist’s Way several times and has found it so transformative. What is happening?!?!
 
But then it gets even weirder!
 
I’d heard about this vegan restaurant near the apartment I’m renting in Stockholm, and I’m trying to find it while out on this same run.
 
I’m on the street where I think it is and start reading the menu in the window of a restaurant that seems like it could be the one.
 
At the very moment I notice the name of the restaurant, Bananas, I hear Rich’s voice in my earbuds say, “that’s bananas!”
 
Rich says “that’s bananas” a lot so that’s not strange, it’s just that he says it at the very second I’m reading the restaurant’s name, Bananas! I get chills all over my body—one of my signs to pay attention, this is significant.
 
(It was the wrong restaurant BTW. I was looking for Chutney).
 
Is it possible the Universe is trying to tell me something and is using Rich Roll to make sure I listen? There are no coincidences so there is something here.
 
Am I being encouraged to soldier on when I’m so full of doubt about why I’m even writing this blog?
 
Maybe I’m supposed to run more? Maybe the Universe is just giving me a little wink and saying, “Hi! I’m here.”
 
I’ll let you know if I figure it out, but in the meantime, I’ll keep running and listening to both Rich Roll and the Universe. I hope you will, too.