
The Universe is always sending us signs…whether we notice them or not. One of the ways the Universe puts us on the right path is through obstacles, rejections and detours. But these messages are of no use if we keep trying to open doors that are shut for our own good.
It can be difficult to figure out if a path is just difficult but worth sticking out, or if it is simply not aligned with us. How can we balance stepping outside of our comfort zone, with doing things that are actually aligned with us? That is what I want to cover today.
In this post I will go over five key signs from the Universe that you are on the wrong path, how to identify and then follow them.
Am I on the wrong path?
Before we get into the signs themselves I want to explore what being on the ‘wrong’ path actually means. I think there is this misconception that we cannot be on the wrong path. While I think there is a lot of truth to that, we can get more nuanced.
Doing things that aren’t the best for us can teach us important lessons and help us grow. Some of the most successful people in the world went down truly destructive, life-altering paths and came out the other side with an uplifting story.
I think we can value these experiences and also better discern which paths will be for our benefit. What doesn’t kill us can make us stronger, but that’s not necessarily the path we want or need to take.
We place a lot of value on pain and strife socially, because those things can be such great catalysts. However growth doesn’t always mean going through heavy struggle; we can internalize that as the only way to grow.
For example, we can value the lessons we have learned through an abusive relationship or breaking our back to survive and still decide that is not a path we want to keep going down.
It is just as important to make space for our joy, and see that expansion can come through periods of embodying love, peace and happiness too!
Signs you are out of alignment with the Universe

First, realize that the Universe is always sending you signs. Through the people you meet, the spaces you end up in, the words of encouragement that come from strangers, recurring messages and themes, heck even in your dreams.
The Universe is always talking to us or in some sort of conversation. For the most part, if we are on the wrong path it means that the connection with the Universe is not as deep as it should be.
1. Disconnection
The most obvious sign you are on the wrong path or out of alignment, is that you feel a strong disconnect from yourself, others around you, and the Universe at large.
This disconnection can show up as apathy towards everything including our spiritual practices. We don’t find enjoyment in the things we used to, and our usual self-care practices leave us feeling empty.
At the more extreme end of things, disconnection can manifest as a dark night of the soul. This could be seen as a kind of ‘spiritual depression’, a lack of interest and motivation that brings up our shadow side for integration.
Disconnection can also manifest in a hundred subtle but equally important ways aswell. Continuously losing things, bumping into things, feeling zoned out and ungrounded.
Generally speaking, walking through life with little awareness, because there isn’t something consistently lighting you up!
2. Blocked intuition
You don’t experience synchroncities, receive signs, even dream at night – there is no guidance for where to go next. For the most part, when we are on the right path, that momentum is reflected in the guidance the Universe sends us, and so there are signs and synchroncities galore.
I will add one caveat here. Sometimes the signs and synchronicities slow down in our life, not because we are disconnected, but because the Universe is taking us deeper.
So that we can hear more subtle messages, or refresh our practices so that they are actually serving us in a new phase. Trust your discernment to figure out which one it is.
Feeling lost is another way to say disconnected from our intuition. When you find yourself in this space, focus on rebuilding that connection rather than leaning too far into that sense of loss or confusion. Know there is a pathway or plan that you just haven’t tuned into or become aware of yet.
3. Heavy emotions
Emotions are energy and energy wants to flow! An obvious sign you are disconnected from the Universe is the presence of heaviness, tension, and a sense of stagnancy.
Heavy emotions are going to show up whether we are in alignment or not, heavy emotions aren’t bad or something we want to get rid of completely. However when you only feel these heavy emotions and find it difficult to access any lighter, uplifting ones, this can be an indication of misalignment.
In these circumstances I recommend getting out of the mind. Bring some awareness to your body and surroundings. Before doing any spiritual practices like meditation, spend more time moving the body and loosening up any tension before opening yourself up to intuitive messages.
When I was going in the wrong direction I experienced a ton of stomach tension. It was as if every little thing would cause my stomach to twist and turn in discomfort.
A lot of intuitive messages come through the stomach or solar plexus area, and this energy will end up accumulating if we are not expressing it.
The reason we’re often feeling heavy or tired, is because we’re unconsciously absorbing other peoples’ energy. Taking on other peoples’ stuff to the point where we are ignoring our own intuition, gifts & strengths, our own path.
Stepping onto the right path often involves releasing a people-pleasing role, getting comfortable with being seen as the villain or hermit for a period, and deeply tuning into our inner guidance.
Go deeper with my shadow work guide that comes with 52 printable journal prompts.
4. Cyclical relationships
Another clear sign that you are out of alignment, is that your relationships go round and round in circles. You meet the same sort of people in the same sort of places, experiencing the same old dynamics.
People can definetly be sent from the Universe to shake things up and get us on the right path, however we still have free will. The Universe isn’t going to force two people together (most of the time). If we want to maintain or enter low-quality relationships, in conflict with our intuition, we are free to do that.
Relationships can either amplify our shadows or bring us in a new direction – be conscious of who you connect with and why.
Often in order to get onto the right path we have to set the boundaries we have been putting off out of fear. We have to give the Universe a clear indication that we are ready for something new and that includes who we hang around.
5. Obstacles & obstructions
Obstacles and detours can be a sign we are on the right path – when those obstructions lead us somewhere better. However sometimes we are facing constant distractions, interruptions, obstacles and still getting nowhere.
There are two ways to interpret this. One, these obstacles are firmly pointing you in the other direction. Two, you’re on the right path overall, but these obstacles represents what you haven’t confronted in yourself, lessons you haven’t learned.
Again, discernment is important here. Obstacles reflect our patterns back to us.
Let’s say your goal is to become a dancer. In your heart you know this is the right path! It’s something that lights your soul up, and when you are in the zone people show appreciation for your work.
However, in trying to achieve that goal you have experienced endless disruptions, obstacles and detors. Nothing seems to be working. The action you put in doesn’t seem to garner constructive result. You might even notice you manifest the complete opposite to your goal instead.
In this case, you have the right end-goal but are perhaps walking the path in a way that is rigid or over analytical. Instead of trying to figure out what is wrong, focus more on being in the right energy – and allow everything else to fall into place around that.
I wrote more about why we manifest the opposite of what we want in this article.
Sometime I do that has changed the way obstacles show up in my life completely, is practicing gratitude whenever something goes wrong!
When a well-laid plan doesn’t go as I expect I say ‘Thank you for this experience, thank you for showing me where I need to go’.
It’s not always easy to act this way when things go wrong, I definetly still freak out and get in the ego, however I consistently come back to this prayer and have noticed that even when there are obstacles I am move through them more smoothly.
How to get back into alignment
Now that you can identify the signs you are out of alignment, you might be wondering how you can get reconnected again.
As I like to say, feeling disconnected from the Universe is just another way to say disconnected from ourselves. There are no inherent boundaries between our ‘self’ and the Universe; we are always connected to the Universe but our beliefs and patterns can create separation.
Find ways to flow
Sometimes doing practices like meditation when we feel disconnected can just bring more awareness to that disconnection. Often we feel stagnant because something in our environment has caused a disruption, we take on that stagnant energy.
Write, speak, dance, do whatever you need to get into a flow state.
Practice shadow work
Do some shadow work, if you feel up to it. Other times we experience stagnancy because we haven’t confronted something in ourselves and we run out of energy to avoid it. All of this emotional heaviness arises at once and we experience the corresponding obstacles in our physical environment.
Spend some time in solitude, meditate, journal, get to the root of things. Then take the appropriate action. What conversation have you been putting off, which boundaries do you need to set, what tasks have you been procrastinating?
Our physical environment and actions have a big impact on our energy. So sometimes the solution is to clear things up on a physical level and do some decluttering, other times we have to strongly take action on our fears.
There are always going to be periods of disconnection, where we feel lost on the spiritual path and life in general. There is nothing wrong with this, and we can develop better practices to uplift ourselves through these phases.
Talk to the Universe daily
If you’re consistently on the wrong path, then you have to change something you’re doing consistently.
I recommend starting with consistently speaking to the Universe! Remember, if you are on the wrong path, the connection you have to the divine is/has been weakened in some way.
This can be as simple as saying good morning to the Universe every single day and affirming your intentions.
Talking to the Universe before sleep is great too as whatever we do/say before bedtime, has a chance to sink into our subconscious mind.
I like to use affirmations in my practice, because I find the mind to the biggest obstacle for me in deepening my faith.
This is the case for a lot of people I work with too! Their body and energy is aligned in a lot of ways, they know the Universe supports them, but their thoughts are consistently pointing in the opposite direction.
Some of my favorite affirmations for when I’m feeling lost:
I am reconnecting with my intuition
It is safe for me to _____ now
I allow ____ to change for me
I trust the timing of my life
I manage abundance well
You can ask the Universe for any type of support you need. A sign to know you’re going in the right direction, a question, a request. I know it can sound like a simplification, but I’ve found that just by asking the Universe for something whether it be inspiration, insight, discernment etc. it sparks whatever I need internally.

The Universe is protecting you
Knowing that you are on the wrong path, chasing the wrong thing, is a blessing. It means you have the power to change things.
It is this awareness that shifts us from constantly repeating old patterns to stepping into our power.
There are so many different ways that the Universe redirects us in order to protect us.
Building upon this, another affirmation I find helpful is ‘Thank you for this experience, I am ready for more/better’.
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Hey there, I’m Ashley. I hope that by sharing my experiences with deepening my intuition, I can help you find that ‘spark’. That magic we can all experience when our energy is aligned and we feel deeply supported by the Universe.
Loved this info
Thank you Cathy!