Is It a Sign… or a Test?

Have you ever felt like every time you try to move forward with something, life suddenly throws a block in your path?  The opportunity falls apart, plans get delayed, things become harder than expected, and immediately we start thinking, “Maybe this is a sign I’m not supposed to do it.”  But what if it’s not that simple?

One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming every obstacle is a sign from the Universe that you made the wrong choice. Before giving up, I think it’s important to look at a few other possibilities first.

Sometimes life is asking:
“How badly do you really want this?”

Growth rarely happens when everything is easy. Sometimes challenges show up because we are being pushed to grow stronger, wiser, more patient, or more committed. If every dream fell into our lap instantly, we wouldn’t become the version of ourselves capable of handling it. When a block arises, it gives us the opportunity to ask ourselves, “How badly do I want this?” and “Is this really what I want?”

In my own life, I have found that when I am ready to just “give up,” those are usually the times my heart truly isn’t into what I am trying to do. Maybe I am doing it because I feel obligated to, or maybe I am doing it to please someone else.  I have learned to look at these moments as an opportunity to check in with myself and get clarity on whether this is really the direction I want to be moving in.

Not every block is a stop sign.
Sometimes it’s all about timing.

Another possibility is that timing simply isn’t aligned yet.  I think we’ve all had moments where something didn’t work out and we were devastated… only to look back later and realize it actually led us somewhere better. Sometimes delays are protection. Sometimes life is rearranging things behind the scenes in ways we can’t yet see.  The hard part is that we don’t always know that in the moment. All we know is this thing we are trying to do, get, or shift is not working, and that can be beyond frustrating!

I remember when I was married the first time. I was about seven months pregnant and we had bought a house. We had sold the condo we were living in, and we were on a very tight schedule. trying to move before our first child was born.

One day, out of nowhere, the owner of the house called me during the home inspection and said (and yes, this is an absolutely true story), “I was just talking with the inspector, and I didn’t realize your mother is a real estate agent. I want $20,000 more for the house.”

I was devastated!

We ended up not buying the house and losing the sale on our condo. I was heartbroken for months because the house was literally right next to my parents, and I thought it was a dream come true to be able to raise my kids next door to them.  To make it even worst, the owner ended up selling the house for about $10,000 less than our original offer.

I did take her to court and got all my money back for the cost of the inspection and some other expenses we had paid out in order to purchase the home. I honestly just couldn’t understand why I couldn’t buy that house and why it all unfolded the way it did.

Fast forward one year later, the new homeowners had their septic back up and it destroyed the entire basement. It cost them a ton of money to repair.  

I remember when I heard what happened, my immediate thought was:
“Thank GOD we did not buy that house!”

My grandmother always used to tell me everything happens for a reason…and boy, was she right!

Remember, that sometimes what feels like loss, rejection, or outright bad luck today may eventually make perfect sense in the future.

Then there’s the hard question many people avoid asking themselves:
“Am I doing this for the right reasons?”

It's important to get clarity on why you are doing something.  Are you pursuing this because it’s truly what you want? Or are you doing it for approval, pressure, fear, validation, someone else, or because you think you’re supposed to?

Sometimes we outgrow things. Sometimes our soul wants more. And sometimes the block isn’t punishment… it’s redirection.

That’s why before giving up, it helps to pause and ask yourself:

• Is this a test of patience or commitment?
• Is the timing off right now?
• Is something better trying to come together?
• Am I forcing something that no longer feels aligned?

There’s a difference between persistence and forcing. Your intuition usually knows the difference long before your mind catches up.

The truth is that life is rarely a straight path. Some seasons are about movement and momentum. Other seasons are about slowing down, reassessing, healing, or preparing for what comes next.

Hopefully, the next time you hit a block, you won’t immediately assume that it is a sign to give up.  I hope you will remember that it may simply be life asking you to look deeper before moving forward.