Have you ever felt life open a door for you—without effort, without push—as if to say, this way?

A new job lands in your lap—something you've wanted, without the grind. A relationship you've dreamed of—a chance encounter that leads to easy connection without chasing.

Honor confirmations from the universe when they come to you.

I borrow the concept of "confirmation" from the Bahá'í Writings. I understand confirmation as a signal from the Divine (God) that whatever you're doing is a right path. Not the right, but a right path—since we have free will, confirmation is a sort of divine nod that where you're going is in alignment with what Bahá'ís call the Will of God.

[Abdu'l-Bahá] said guidance was when the doors opened after we tried. We can pray, ask to do God's will only, try hard, and then if we find our plan is not working out, assume it is not the right one, at least for the moment.

—From a letter dated 29 October 1952 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer

I visualize the concept as a scenario. You're in a room with a series of doors. You grab a handle and try to open the door. It's locked.

You jiggle the handle, push harder. No luck.

Some doors can be forced open. But you may not like what you see on the other side.

Confirmation is the door that opens easily. Maybe even on its own. No jostling. No forcing. No search for the key.

Confirmation is an invitation to walk through the door.

Honoring a confirmation, however, is not a mandate to walk through that door.

Maybe all that’s asked of us is this: notice when the door opens—and honor it by looking inside.