When the Universe Forces You to Slow Down: My Most Powerful Spiritual Breadcrumbs

Part 2 of a 3-part series on motherhood, spiritual growth, and the art of slowing down

In Part 1, I shared about the paradox of finding freedom in not being needed. In this post, I share the dramatic wake-up calls that taught me that slowing down isn't just "nice-to-have"—it's essential.

Sometimes it takes breaking your ankle while running through the woods to learn to slow down.

I'm a firm believer in signs from the universe—those “spiritual breadcrumbs” that guide us when we're willing to pay attention. These breadcrumbs can point us toward any number of life lessons.  In looking back, some of my most meaningful breadcrumbs have consistently taught me about the art of slowing down.

Sometimes the universe whispers. Sometimes it shouts. And sometimes, when we're really not listening, it forces us to stop completely.

Spiritual Breadcrumb #1: The Broken Ankle That Broke Me Open

My first major “Slow Down, Sister!” breadcrumb (that I finally paid attention to) arrived during what I thought was an attempt to care for myself.  I went to a spa (Good choice!)… and was convinced to do a trail run (Really Bad Choice especially given I didn’t run then and still don’t!)  But, relaxing wasn’t good enough: I was determined to push my body toward some version of “better."

Less than a mile into the run, I promptly tripped and broke my ankle.

The pain was awful, the recovery worse, but the metaphor couldn’t have been clearer: I wasn't actually slowing down or taking care of myself—I was just pushing hard in a different direction. I had taken my stress and anxiety about everything else and poured it into "improving" my body, but the driving energy was the same. The universe had literally stopped me in my tracks.

Lying there with a broken ankle, I couldn't ignore the message anymore. This seemed like an apt metaphor for how I was living my entire life—always running toward something, never pausing to ask if I actually wanted to go there.

Spiritual Breadcrumb #2: The Highway Wake-Up Call

The second breadcrumb came during what was meant to be a peaceful retreat to Utah with my daughter. We were driving on a beautiful two-lane highway, surrounded by stunning landscapes, with no deadlines and nothing but precious time together ahead of us.

But when the car in front of me was going slower than I wanted, I decided to pass it. To what end? We had nowhere urgent to be.

Still, I went for it. And since I was already in the left lane, I figured—why not pass the next car too?

That’s when the 18-wheeler I thought was “way in the distance” appeared terrifyingly close. In that split second, my daughter’s life and mine hung in the balance.

By sheer grace—and the mercy of the driver I was trying to pass—we survived. She let me back in. She saved us.

The question rang in my ears: To what end are we always striving to go faster, harder?

The Pattern Becomes Clear

At that point, I became more vigilant about noticing these breadcrumbs. The message was becoming impossible to ignore: my inherent urge to push, to be better, faster, to be of service to others (even when they weren't asking for it), to be NEEDED—this energy was literally dangerous.

I've gotten better at recognizing and responding to these signs, but that driving force still lives inside me. But now I have tools: mindfulness, breathwork (I’m finishing my certification soon—more on that later!), coaching (yes, even coaches need coaches-- I highly recommend it-- wink wink), writing, qigong, meditation, yoga. 

These practices have become my antidote to the striving. They bring me back into flow. Into alignment. Into presence.

The Ongoing Journey

The universe doesn’t stop teaching, and I don’t stop needing reminders. Even now, during my daughter’s senior year of high school and all that it entails, my son deep into college, and my own evolving identity as a mom, I feel that familiar tug to rush, to fill every moment, to keep moving. 

But I'm finally learning to pause first. To breathe. To ask: What would slowing down look like right now?

Have you received spiritual breadcrumbs in your own life? What wake-up calls have forced you to examine how you're moving through the world? Share your stories in the comments—I believe we learn as much from each other's breadcrumbs as from our own.