Anyone who knows me well has undoubtedly encountered my wonder in the mystical. I believe in the real magic of the Universe. I pet all the puppers. I take pictures of every rainbow I see. And, there are quite a few unicorns around my house. But, one of my favorites blessings from the Universe is encountering the lucky penny. I don’t subscribe to the superstition that the penny must be “heads up” for it to be important, nor do I really believe in the concept of luck so much. To me, the Universe is dynamic and constantly gives us signs of our right path. When I find a penny, I always pick it up. I pause and take a moment to be mindful of all that which has been bestowed upon me.

Earlier this summer, I was at lunch at one of my usual haunts. I looked down on the floor and there was a crisp, new $100 bill folded in quarters. I picked it up and asked the folks around me if they had dropped any money. To my surprise, no one claimed the $100 bill. At that moment, I marveled at the fact the Universe had blessed me with 10,000 lucky pennies at once. I was reminded of the time I was at my local gas station and found several dollars in pennies on the ground in the parking lot. You know damn well I got down on my knees and picked every single one of those mothers up.

Money is a difficult subject for many, if not most, of us. I wish we had more frank and open discussions about our struggles with money, not just our successes. I have a terrible relationship with money and have always operated from a place of scarcity, afraid to let go of what I have. But, lately, my journey has shone the light on the issue of abundance. My consciousness is shifting toward the importance of community and contributing to others. I’m hoping it sticks.

My point in writing this post is simply to put the idea out in the Universe that we should give more than we take, especially when the Universe provides us with its bounty. For months, the $100 bill sat on my bathroom sink, a sign of “possibility.” I decided I would only spend it when the time felt right. I ended up depositing the money in my business bank account, ultimately deciding to support a local wellness festival organized by a friend and a group of like-minded individuals. The money is a collective investment in creativity and community. I believe in their mission as much as I believe in mine. I decided to let go and let God.