A woman goes to a conference…and breaks her ankle, thus being forced to slow down.
The dog gets sick out of nowhere.
You get to the airport and realize you forgot your wallet.
A client you’ve been working with a long time suddenly doesn’t have the budget for the project anymore.
A client who let you go 9 months ago calls you up and wants you back.
I could go on.
Basically, at any moment, life can take a swift turn.
My former teacher Kraye Grymmont calls these moments “Universe cards.”
“You know, when the Universe throws down a card that you absolutely did not see coming—you couldn’t even conceive that such a card, such a direction, could exist within your reality?”
These are the moments that seem to land in your lap from nowhere.
You didn’t (couldn’t!) plan for them.
You didn’t set them up.
You might not even have imagined them as possibilities.
And yet—here they are, changing the shape of things.
Sometimes the card feels devastating. Sometimes it’s magical. Often it’s inconvenient.
But it always interrupts the story you thought you were in and invites you to expand beyond your plans.
And here’s why I love this frame: calling these moments “Universe cards” changes my relationship to them.
It adds a little delight to the unexpected.
It turns life’s curveballs into a kind of game.
It lets me share a sly wink with life, meeting the twists with curiosity rather than resistance.
Instead of spiraling into “Why is this happening to me?” I get to play with, “Ah, interesting card, Universe. Let’s see what you’re up to.”
These moments are inevitable. The question is how we meet them.
This is a big part of what I support my coaching clients with:
- Learning to navigate life’s surprise cards with more resilience, presence, and trust
- Finding and creating meaning and joy even when the plot takes an unexpected turn
- Expanding their sense of what’s possible on the other side of disruption
If that resonates, I’d love to connect. I offer a free 75-minute consultation where we can explore what’s unfolding in your life and how coaching might support you. Just hit reply to schedule a time.
And in the meantime: What’s a Universe card you’ve been dealt—recently or in the past—that shifted your trajectory?
Hit reply and tell me. I’d love to hear.
With curiosity,
Rachel
