By Suzanne Wiggins

I have loathed tea my entire life. Iced tea, hot tea, sweet tea, you name it. I’ve been a coffee snob since fifth grade when my mother encouraged me to start drinking it to curb my appetite and lose weight. That, however, is another story for another time.

Over the past year I have been trying to like green tea for its many health benefits. Friends and co-workers have shared their favorite brands and made numerous recommendations for how I may develop a taste for something I’ve abhorred my entire life. Nothing really worked and every morning my hand would narrowly pass the box of Yogi Green Tea on its way to a Paul Newman k-cup I would brew into the most delicious cup of coffee.

About three weeks ago, I decided to re-read one of my favorite books on creating habits. The author is an avid tea enthusiast, but that wasn’t always the case. Many of the friends he found most inspiring and credible were also tea drinkers so he hesitantly decided to see what the fuss was about. He is now a die hard tea drinking convert. In his book, he suggests developing the habit of drinking tea for a long list of reasons and notes that, unlike me, you can’t give it an occasional try. With any habit, you have to develop it over time with consistent action. So after yet another health conscious friend recently made the suggestion that I drink green tea daily, I decided to give it another go, and Shazaam! Just like that, I began to drink several cups of green tea a day and actually enjoy it.

For two weeks I’ve frequently found myself lost in thoughts of amazement regarding how sudden and easy it was for me to overcome a lifelong aversion. That was until I made the discovery. I thought my new found enjoyment of tea was a happy coincidence, but now I know the truth. The Universe is communicating with me via tea bags. Yes, as hard as it is to believe, the Universe is sending me messages. Being a novice tea drinker, it took a couple of weeks to notice that at the end of every tea bag there is a message printed on the paper tab. It is similar to a fortune cookie, however, the difference with my tea is that each message I receive is entirely relevant to questions or thoughts I’ve had earlier in the day while writing in my journal.

For example, over the past three days the Universe has told me, “Live by your inner knowledge and strength, Let things come to you, and You don’t need love. You are love.” Holy crap, I feel like I’m watching BRAVE when the witch tells Merida, ” Fate be changed. Look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride.” Maybe it’s a Scottish thing.

So what questions have you been asking yourself lately? What should I do? Where do I start? What now? Why now? Why me? Regardless of the question, I strongly encourage you to keep your eyes open for the answer. Like my tea bags, it may appear anywhere, but you have to be aware or you just may miss it. Another of my favorite books at the moment relays a Hindu story about a woman who wants to meet Krishna. She goes to the forest, kneels in the soft grass, closes her eyes, and prays and meditates on making Krishna appear. Lo and behold, Krishna comes walking towards the woman and taps her on the shoulder. Without opening her eyes, the woman tells the stranger to go away because she is busy meditating on a very important goal.

Who knows what wisdom and guidance I missed the first two weeks of drinking tea? Two or three bags a day over 14 days really adds up. Perhaps if I had paid attention, I could be on the verge of a few more life altering changes right now. I’m grateful however, that I’ve started to listen.

I can’t remember who, but someone very wise and inspiring said, “Things happen FOR us, not TO us.” My decision to create a habit of drinking tea has turned out to have a benefit far more valuable than good health or a higher metabolism. Unlike the woman looking for Krishna, I intend to keep my eyes wide open and look for answers in the most unexpected places. And I hope for someone, my blog turns out to be a place where the Universe speaks to them. Until then, I will continue to drink green tea and see what the Universe has to say.