The Signs in Your Life

Are You Missing the Signs in Your Life? How to Finally Notice What Has Been There All Along

Let me ask you a simple question. How many signs in your life did you drive right past this week? I am not talking about the ones on the highway. Instead, I am talking about the little nudges, the strange coincidences, the offhand comment from a client that stuck with you, and that knot in your stomach every Sunday night.

Here is the truth. Most of us receive signs every single day. However, we do not recognize them as signs because we are not looking for them. In other words, the message is being delivered, but nobody is home to sign for the package.

You can call the source whatever you like: life, the universe, God, your gut, or your Inner Bob. Either way, something is constantly trying to get your attention. Unfortunately, if your mindset is stuck on “Woe is me,” you will miss almost all of it. On the other hand, when you shift to “Wow is me,” you suddenly start seeing opportunity everywhere.

As The Mindset Adjuster, I have spent decades helping business owners, professionals, and everyday people shift the way they think. Along the way, I have learned one thing for certain. The signs in your life are rarely hidden. In fact, they are usually hiding in plain sight.

Why So Many People Miss the Signs in Their Life

First of all, we are busy. We are answering emails at red lights, eating lunch over a keyboard, and scrolling through our phones while someone we love is talking to us. As a result, we live on autopilot. And when you are on autopilot, you only see what you expect to see.

Psychologists actually have a name for this. It is called inattentional blindness. In one famous experiment, people were asked to count basketball passes in a video. Meanwhile, a person in a gorilla suit walked right through the middle of the scene. Believe it or not, about half of the viewers never noticed the gorilla. Why? Because they were too focused on counting passes.

Now think about your own life for a moment. What gorilla is walking through your living room right now while you are busy counting passes?

Beyond being busy, there is a second reason we miss the signs. Simply put, our mindset acts like a filter. If you believe that nothing good ever happens to you, your brain will gladly go out and prove you right. Consequently, you will notice every flat tire, every rude customer, and every rejection. At the same time, you will completely overlook the open door standing right next to them.

Finally, many of us are afraid of what the signs might be saying. Deep down, we already know the job is wrong, the relationship needs work, or the business model is outdated. Therefore, we look the other way, because noticing would mean we have to do something about it.

I Was Voted “Least Likely to Succeed” (and I Almost Believed It)

Let me tell you a little bit about my own story. Back in high school, a guidance counselor told me I did not have the intelligence for college. To make matters worse, my classmates voted me “Least Likely to Succeed.” Talk about a sign, right?

At the time, I read that sign the wrong way. I saw it as a stop sign. As a result, I believed that dreams were reserved for a lucky few, and I was not one of them.

Looking back, however, it was never a stop sign. It was a detour sign. Eventually, I went on to excel with honors in college and graduate school. Later on, I even taught at my old high school, which proves once and for all that guidance counselors are not fortune tellers.

After that, life took another surprising turn. I became a national headline comedian, earned a Showtime comedy special, and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the business. From the outside, it looked like I had made it. Still, something inside kept nudging me toward a bigger purpose. I wanted to do more than make people laugh. I wanted to help them use laughter to change their lives.

That restlessness was a sign. So, at the peak of my comedy career, I walked away to become a speaker. Honestly, it was one of the scariest decisions I have ever made. Even so, it led me to the Speaker Hall of Fame and to audiences all over the world. None of that would have happened if I had ignored the nudge.

What Do the Signs in Your Life Actually Look Like?

Here is the good news. Signs rarely arrive with flashing lights and a marching band. Rather, they tend to show up quietly. With that in mind, here are a few of the most common ones to watch for:

• The same lesson keeps repeating. If you keep running into the same problem with different people, that is not bad luck. On the contrary, it is a lesson waiting to be learned.
• A door closes unexpectedly. Losing a client or getting passed over for a promotion hurts. Nevertheless, a closed door often redirects you toward something better.
• Someone crosses your path at just the right moment. A stranger at a conference or an old friend who calls out of the blue may be carrying exactly the message you need.
• Your energy changes. Notice what lights you up and what drains you. In many cases, your energy is the clearest compass you have.
• Your gut keeps talking. That quiet voice that says “something is off” or “go for it” is worth hearing out.
• Other people keep telling you the same thing. When three different people give you similar feedback, it is probably time to listen.

Signs for Business Owners and Professionals

Of course, the signs in your life are not limited to your personal world. In fact, some of the most important ones show up at work.

For example, a rise in customer complaints is a sign. Likewise, rising employee turnover is a sign. A competitor suddenly winning business you used to own is a sign, too. Even your own Monday morning dread is a sign that something needs to change.

The problem is that many leaders treat these signs as annoyances instead of information. Rather than asking, “What is this trying to tell me?” they ask, “Who can I blame for this?” As a result, they fix symptoms instead of causes.

Meanwhile, the most successful business owners I have met share one trait. They are curious. When something unexpected happens, they lean in and ask questions. Because of that, they spot trends early, adapt faster, and turn problems into profit while everyone else is still complaining.

How to Start Noticing the Signs in Your Life

So how do you go from missing the signs to catching them? Fortunately, it does not require a mountaintop retreat. Instead, it starts with a few simple mindset shifts.

1. Slow Down Long Enough to See

To begin with, you cannot notice anything at full speed. Therefore, give yourself a few quiet minutes each day. Put the phone down, take a walk, or just sit with your coffee. In that stillness, you will be amazed at what rises to the surface.

2. Ask Better Questions

Next, change the questions you ask yourself. Your mindset writes the story of your life, so every now and then it is wise to stop and ask, “What kind of story am I writing now?” Similarly, when something goes wrong, try asking, “What is this here to teach me?” instead of “Why does this always happen to me?”

3. Write It Down

In addition, keep a simple journal of the moments that catch your attention. Over time, patterns will start to appear. What looked like random coincidence will begin to look a lot more like direction.

4. Become a HUMOR BEING

Here is where I get a little biased. When you are stressed, your vision literally narrows. On the other hand, laughter relaxes you and widens your perspective. That is why I encourage everyone to become a HUMOR BEING. When you can find the humor in a frustrating situation, you stop reacting and start seeing. Not only that, but you also become a lot more fun to be around.

5. Act on the Small Signs

Lastly, do not wait for a giant sign before you move. Usually, the big signs only show up after we have responded to the small ones. So make the phone call, sign up for the class, or have the honest conversation. In short, take one small step and watch what shows up next.

Shift Your Mindset and the Signs Become Obvious

Ultimately, noticing the signs in your life is not about luck. It is about awareness, and awareness is a choice. When you shift from “Woe is me” to “Wow is me,” you do not just feel better. You actually see better.

Think about it this way. The signs were never missing. In reality, you were simply looking somewhere else. Once you adjust your mindset, what used to feel like chaos starts to feel like guidance.

So starting today, keep your eyes open. Pay attention to the repeated lessons, the closed doors, the unexpected people, and that persistent voice in your gut. After all, your next sign may already be on its way. In fact, it might even be this blog post.

Remember, mindset is everything. Now go out there and get your SHIFT together!

Steve Rizzo is a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, former national headline comedian, and author of Becoming a Humor Being and Motivate THIS! He has delivered his Common Sense Success Strategies to Fortune 500 companies and associations worldwide. Learn more at steverizzo.com.