In 2014 my husband and I spent nine months hunting for an apartment. We live in New York City, which is a competitive market, and our search coincided with one the best seller’s markets in recent history. As a result, each new viewing left us more and more depressed and lethargic. Our reaction to everything was, “Ugh, another overpriced, craptastic listing!” Then we’d collapse on the couch, feeling bummed out and drained of energy.

We quickly lost sight of the joy that comes with buying your first home. Instead, we started to feel terrible because we were getting priced out of neighborhoods that we didn’t even want to live in. The whole experience was bringing us down. In time we started to get sick, fight and lose faith in our dream home.

One night, after seeing yet another insanely expensive place in need of a gut renovation, we both unraveled. In the midst of a mini meltdown, I remembered I had another choice. I said the magic words to my husband: “There has to be a better way. Let’s pray for a creative solution. ” He nodded yes, and we prayed. I said, “Thank you, Universe, for opening us up to creative possibilities. We surrender our plans to you. Show us what you’ve got.”

Within seconds we both felt lighter. In our surrender we’d realigned with the true source of power, the Universe. Instead of fixating on everything that was getting us down — and trying to control the outcome of this stressful and unpredictable situation — we instantly gave ourselves permission to stop worrying and let the Universe take over.

In that surrender, an inspired idea materialized in my mind. I said to my husband, “Honey, you know how we always dreamed of living in the country? Why don’t we reverse our search and check out some houses upstate?” He looked at me with excitement and said, “That sounds fun.”

We were back in action. Forty-five minutes later we had found four listings in the country. The next day we called a real estate agent and set up tours of all the houses.

The first house we visited we called the Mountain House. As we approached it, driving up the long, winding driveway fringed with fall foliage, my husband said, “This is the one. I can feel it.” Seeing it for the first time was at once exciting and calming. I felt a rush of loving energy move through my body. I said to my husband and the agent, “This makes no sense, but I feel at home.” We went on to look at a few more houses, but none seemed to make us feel as good as the Mountain House.

Over the next few weeks we visited it several more times to get more information. Before one visit I was on the phone with my dear friend Colette Baron-Reid, who happens to be a powerful psychic medium. I was telling her all about the Mountain House. I shared my excitement and my uncertainty. She said, “Have you asked for a sign?”

I’ve had a spiritual practice for years. But I confess this idea was new to me.

“What do you mean?” I asked. She explained that when she moves into a new home she asks for a sign. Her sign is a dragonfly, and she said that when she found her last home she knew it was hers when she saw a book in the house with a dragonfly on the cover.

I loved the idea of asking for a sign. I said to Colette, “I really dig the dragonfly. But my sign will be an owl.” I have no idea why I chose the owl. Maybe the owl chose me?

So we set off to visit the house, and the moment we arrived I noticed a gift card on the kitchen table with a dragonfly on it! I took that as a preliminary sign. Though I’d found Colette’s dragonfly, I was still committed to finding my owl. So I scoured the house for the owl. I was looking for one everywhere. But by the time we left I still hadn’t found my owl. I texted Colette and said, “I didn’t find my owl but I found your dragonfly!” She replied, “Great! We were talking about the dragonfly so that’s enough. :)”

Before we got on the highway my husband and I stopped in the town for a coffee. When we were walking back to our car I glanced at the car next to ours. On the bumper was a sticker of a massive flying owl. I screamed, “I found our owl!” It was a big sign that the Universe had our back.

A few weeks later we made an offer on the house and it was accepted instantly. A few weeks after that — all the while asking the Universe for owls in the midst of negotiations, and finding them everywhere — my husband and I closed on our Mountain House.

Logic, fear and limitation cut off our connection to creative possibilities and universal guidance. But once we surrendered to our true power, miracles began pouring in fast. Through the process of remembering and accepting our energetic power we were able to regain faith and get excited.

The Universe is an abundant flow of positive, powerful energy. @GabbyBernstein (Click to Tweet!)

When you align with that loving, powerful force of energy you become a magnet for more of it. When you get psyched about something and lead from a place of joy, immediately the Universe starts to show you the way.

My book The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith comes out on Sep 27 2016. To celebrate I’m offering an incredible bonus. When you order the book you can get my brand new five hour online course for free! Check out all the details here: www.gabbybernstein.com/newbook.

Gabrielle Bernstein has been named “a new thought leader” by Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. She appears regularly as an expert on The Dr. Oz Show, and was named “a new role model” by the New York Times. Gabrielle is the New York Times best-selling author of the books May Cause Miracles and Miracles Now. Her other titles include Add More ~ing to Your Life and Spirit Junkie. In the fall of 2016 she will release her fifth book, The Universe Has Your Back. Gabrielle teamed up with Deepak Chopra to co-host the Guinness Book of World Records largest group meditation. The Oprah Winfrey Network chose Gabrielle to be part of the “Super Soul 100” list, a dynamic group of 100 trailblazers whose vision and life’s work are bringing a higher level of consciousness to the world. or more on Gabrielle’s work visit GabbyBernstein.com.

Image courtesy of Chloe Crespi.