Gabby Bernstein Has San Francisco’s Back

By Rachel Nichols

Gabby Bernstein, inspirational speaker, Hay House author and “spirit junkie,” came to San Francisco to speak to nearly 1,000 people last Friday, Oct. 7 at Grace Cathedral about her latest book, The Universe Has Your Back. The book, which was released Sept. 27, is already a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Gabby opened the night with a meditation and asked us to ponder what we came here for. “What did you come to let go of? What did you come to receive?” She told us the story of how her latest book unfolded, which happened during what she said was “the biggest bottom” of her life. “When I wrote this book, I was cracking into the trauma,” she said. She did this by going to the places she had been unwilling to go, telling the stories she had been afraid to tell and allowing spirit to move through her.

The best chapters and lessons presented in the book were channeled through Gabby in just two months’ time, “and in the process of writing this book, I healed myself,” she said. “I wrote this book for me. For my own journey and healing.” And she promised that the book can heal each and every person who reads it as well. “This book will heal. All that’s required is your willingness.”

Gabby then shared her favorite lessons and stories from The Universe Has Your Back. Here is what I took away from her amazing talk on transforming fear into faith.

Lessons from Gabby Bernstein

Lesson 1: To be free, we must acknowledge our resistance.
Take a long hard look at where you are resisting in your life. “We are not showing up for our resistance. Practice releasing. Show up for what’s up or it will keep showing up,” she said.

Gabby then admitted to a major meltdown she had the day of the book launch after an email that was promoting the book was sent out to her mailing list with an incorrect link. Her willingness to share her imperfections, after all, is what she attributes to much of her success. She said she witnessed her fear and realized it wasn’t about the email. “This is a wound, an ancient story, an unhealed part of my shadow,” she said. “The universe was giving me another spiritual lesson to show up for what’s up. That was 10 days ago, and I can own that in front of you now. I wasn’t living my first step.”

What I learned from Gabby: It’s not about never having meltdowns. It’s about how quickly you make a comeback from that space of fear. These are the disowned parts of our shadow that need to heal.

Lesson 2: When you think you’ve surrendered, surrender more.
This lesson, which is in chapter 11 of The Universe Has Your Back, is one of Gabby’s favorites. It was written right before the book was submitted and was channeled through her in just one hour on New Year’s Day in 2016 after spending the evening with close friends who all had kids. Gabby had “made the plan” to get pregnant, but it wasn’t happening after several months of trying; and when she woke up on January 1 to find her cycle had started again, she lost it. She said she was feeling left out, behind in life, not good enough. She knew she needed to hit the meditation cushion hard. After meditating, she said some major principles for surrender were offered up to her, and she got up and wrote the chapter, When you think you’ve surrendered, surrender more.

What I learned from Gabby: Take your hands off the wheel through prayer or meditation. Give up time and outcomes and focus on what is thriving—shift your focus on what you do have, not what’s not working, to get back into the flow.

“A lot of stuff came up in that journey of surrender,” Gabby said. She needed to heal herself before she would be ready to be a mother, she discovered. “It’s a beautiful way to live, to be in that receptivity,” she said.

Lesson 3: Obstacles are detours in the right direction.
Gabby shared another story. This one was about getting stuck in an elevator with her claustrophobic husband who had recently retired from his job to help run her business, which was causing some conflict in the relationship. While they were stuck in that elevator they ended up reconnecting with each other after several months of tension.

What I learned from Gabby: We need to look at every challenge that we are faced with and see the opportunity. Surrender to the obstacle. Also know that you might not see the reason for the “detour” until you are further down the road.

Quick tool from this lesson: Look at what’s up and try to see how any obstacles are a detour in the right direction. Ask yourself: what could be my opportunity from this obstacle? “Begin to see through that lens,” Gabby said.

The Greatest Way to Learn a Lesson is to Teach It
After sharing some of her favorite lessons from the book, Gabby held a Q&A session, asking attendees to share their stories and ask questions. Some of my favorite Gabbyisms from the Q&A period:

“The greatest way to learn a lesson is to teach it.”

“People get spiritual, things get good, then people tend to start freaking out. Keep showing up”

“Take action from a place of intuition; don’t take action just for action’s sake.”

One thoughtful question from an audience, “How do you show up for your spiritual path without leaving everyone behind?” will be followed up by Gabby with a video on the topic in the future.

The night at Grace Cathedral ended with another meditation—Gabby led us through a guided visualization that I loved. This was probably my favorite part. “All I want to do is help to relieve your suffering by reminding you of who you already are,” she concluded. Thank you, Gabby, for coming to San Francisco and having our backs!

About The Universe Has Your Back
Each story and lesson in the book guides readers to release the blocks to what they long for most: happiness, security and clear direction. The lessons will help you relinquish the need to control so you can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom. You will learn to stop chasing life and truly live. Making the shift from fear to faith will give you a sense of power in a world that can all too often makes you feel utterly powerless. When the tragedies of the world seem overwhelming, this book will guide you back to your true power.

For more on Gabby Bernstein or to buy her new book, visit www.gabbybernstein.com. If you purchase her book before Nov. 27, you will also get a 6-hour Transform Fear to Faith Online Course, which includes guided meditations and more stories from Gabby.