Surrender to the Divine plan (it’s better than yours)
Ever had a plan and then discovered the Divine had other ideas?
Yeah, me too.
When we moved to Melbourne a couple of years ago, I thought I was being smart and strategic.
I wanted to land a leadership role - a high-paying city gig to support the next evolution of my work (and my newly relaunched biz).
I was a woman on a mission!
So I did what I’d coached hundreds of others to do...
I executed the “Mandie gets a job” plan to perfection:
Clarity on what I wanted (tick)
Research into aligned opportunities (tick)
Tailored applications (tick)
Consistent action (tick)
And then… crickets.
Umm, excuse me, WTF?
I was used to things f.l.o.w.i.n.g - especially in my career.
For years, opportunities had unfolded through perfect synchronicity and Divine orchestration - people invited me to apply for roles or sometimes just handed them to me.
So this was new terrain.
Uncomfortable, perplexing terrain.
It added to an already rocky entry into a new city, and I felt exhausted and untethered.
While I tried to adjust, I kept tending to my business, which, truthfully, was still evolving from its earlier iteration of career coaching and helping people find their purpose.
My podcast ‘Find Your Calling’ had begun shifting toward spiritual guidance and supporting people to align their whole lives (not just their work) with what the Divine was calling them toward.
I knew something deeper was trying to emerge, but it hadn't landed yet...
Then, one day, an opportunity caught my eye: hosting a radio segment for JOY Radio, Australia’s largest queer radio station.
When I met with the Program Manager, it was like the Universe spoke directly through her when she said:
“We’re interested in you doing a show on spirituality - not careers.”
Boom.
God’s advice was received loud and clear. It was pivot time.
In that moment I knew I wasn’t being blocked - I was being redirected (and being given the time and space to do so).
So I surrendered.
I stopped forcing the job hunt and gave thanks for the few clients and consulting work that were flowing (may have been a trickle, but flowing!).
I got patient; I listened; and followed what was calling me (the radio show; the spiritualist church; deeper psychic studies).
And from that place, the next evolution of Soul Strategies began to take form.
Eight months later, the consulting work started drying up. Savings dipped lower. And two of my coach friends, both in “jobby jobs,” raved about how nice it was to have the stability of a regular pay cheque. I was sold!
So I declared to the Universe my desire for my own “jobby job”.
But this time I knew I wanted it to be part-time, so I had the time and energy for my biz.
Within a week, a post on a fundraising Facebook group caught my eye. It didn’t look like what I’d been searching for, but intuitively I knew to reach out.
And I got the job.
I spent a beautiful 14 months at the Eye and Ear Hospital as their Philanthropy & Fundraising Coordinator - and I thanked God for that role every day (and now am blessed to be the Philanthropy Lead there at a very spacious 3 days per fortnight!).
After years of leading organisations under immense pressure - forming a charity during multiple flood recovery efforts, directing a different rapidly growing charity through COVID (remotely, from overseas no less), and managing 4,000 volunteer performers at the Commonwealth Games — my nervous system needed a f*cking break.
And that’s exactly what the Divine delivered.
And it knew I needed the time to pivot my business.
Once again, I was shown:
My plan wasn’t what I needed.
The Divine had a much better one.
(It just took me a little while to catch up!)
The start of my Melbourne chapter was another initiation in surrender and humility for me.
Once again, it stripped away my illusion of control and taught me yet again how to get out of my own way and co-create with the Divine.
I didn't need to force that new chapter into being - or plan it perfectly - I just needed to trust in the unfolding and take the steps as I was guided.
That’s not just my story - it’s a pattern I see with so many of my clients.
If you’ve been building something meaningful - a business, a creative project, a new chapter in life - and the path suddenly feels off track… maybe you’re not doing anything "wrong" but are being prepared for your next stage of expansion and growth.
Sometimes the Divine pauses or blocks your plan so a higher one can come through.
But it can be easy to lose your centre and have doubt or fear emerge in those moments.
That's why I offer Guidance and Healing sessions to help you come back to your centre and trust, no matter what curveball you're facing right now in life or work. It’s for the moments when life feels uncertain, unclear or just bit off track, and you need help finding your way back to yourself.
Book your Guidance and Healing Session here.
With love and fierce faith,
Mandie x
Soul Strategies
Supporting daring souls to move through life with faith, not force or fear
