The Universe Is Hiring

Discover the Role You Were Born to Fill

The following is an excerpt from The Universe Is Hiring, by Anniston Riekstins, available now from Greenleaf Book Group.

INTRODUCTION

• Do you want to be more fulfilled?
• Do you long to find your purpose?
• Do you want to find a job that will be both abundant and deeply satisfying?
• Do you feel like something is missing in your life and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to fill the hole inside?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, this book is for you.

What if I told you there is a specific role you — and only you — were born to fill? It exists right now and is just waiting for you to find it. One by one, your life experiences have been qualifying you to be perfectly prepared to fulfill this role. This position will require you to share your unique gifts, talents, and abilities. And it will reward you handsomely with abundance, happiness, and success beyond your wildest imagination.

If that role existed, would you be interested in applying?

I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in a position that was specifically designed for them and would guarantee a lifetime of fulfillment, abundance, and happiness?

If you’ve picked up this book, I bet you are looking for something more in your life.

Well, I’ve got great news: that role does exist and it’s available to you now.

There exists a unique role for every human on the planet. So why are so many people deeply unhappy in their careers and personal lives? Why are the rates of people living with depression, stress, and overwhelm continuing to increase? Why is suicide becoming one of the leading causes of death? Why do some of the richest, most successful people struggle with alcohol and drug addiction while claiming they still feel like something is missing?

The problem isn’t that humans are incapable of true happiness and fulfillment. The problem is that we haven’t had all the information.

In many cultures, especially in the West, we are encouraged to constantly do more: hustle harder, make more money, have more things, gain more power, and chase the impressive job title that will earn you greater respect.

We spend days, weeks, months, and years of our lives striving for these goals, sacrificing our time and happiness to survive, hoping to achieve financial freedom and enjoy life in retirement. That is, assuming that the chronic stress hasn’t adversely affected our health and we live long enough to retire.

Many of us have inherited a collective belief system that includes the following:

• Life isn’t meant to be easy.
• Life isn’t meant to be fun.
• If an action isn’t tied to a financial goal, it’s a hobby and isn’t as important.
• Stop dreaming, get your head out of the clouds, and return to reality.
• If you do what you love, you won’t have enough money to survive.
• Keep your head down, do the work, and you’ll be fine.

These beliefs have worked for centuries to ensure an individual’s security, protection, and survival.

What this collective belief system doesn’t support is our potential to thrive.

We were never taught in school how to be successful and fulfilled. We weren’t given instructions for how to reach our dreams and feel satisfied, content, and enthusiastic every step of the way. And we’re unclear how to experience true prosperity — which is the joy of doing what you were born to do while serving others and manifesting abundance at the same time.

People who perceive the world through the lens of survival are living their lives on autopilot, constantly reacting to what life throws their way. Their inner lights are dimmed, and they mindlessly go through the motions as if in a waking coma. They no longer feel excitement, joy, and love for their life; they exist and try to make the best of it until they die.

People who are thriving seem to glow from the inside out. They wake up excited about what the day will bring and spend time doing the things that light them up. They dream about their future and intentionally create their heart’s desires. These people have magnetic energy and are invigorating to be around. And no matter where they go, they experience beautiful synchronicities that could easily be perceived as luck, as if everything they touch turns to gold.

Let me ask you: Are you surviving or are you thriving? Your answer will determine the quality of the life you will experience, and it’s a choice.

If you’re not currently thriving, the good news is that it’s more than possible for you to shift into that state. But it will require you to stop doing what you’ve been taught — expecting money, relationships, jobs, and all sorts of material objects to fill your inner cup.

Because this invisible cup can only be filled by one thing, and that is your purpose.

I discovered and aligned with my purpose in my early thirties, creating a significant turning point in my life story. It changed everything.

I know what it feels like to be deeply unfulfilled, suffering in silence, feeling like your job is sucking the life force out of you. I know what it feels like to job-hop, believing with each new job that you’ve finally found a position that will keep you feeling inspired, fulfilled, and engaged, only to feel dissatisfied again a year later. I know what it feels like to come home from work and feel like you have nothing to give your spouse and children because your energy tank is perpetually empty. I know what it feels like to fall into a deep depression every Sunday evening, knowing Monday morning and a full calendar of meetings are right around the corner. I know what it feels like to have no idea what you’re good at and to feel deeply unworthy of success. And I know what it feels like to be constantly searching for a purpose, wondering why others seem so sure of themselves while you feel lost.

I’ve been there, and it sucks. Especially when you have achieved everything you believed was necessary — the career, marriage, mortgage, children, and 401k — but it’s still not enough.

Nothing was enough until I did the inner work to discover, align with, and start being my purpose. I will share my journey and process with you throughout the following pages, but know that it led to me creating and living a life I love.

I discovered that it’s possible to have it all, and I have designed and crafted a life that lights me up.

Today, I serve as a high-level executive for a large, ever-expanding company. I absolutely love my job and the incredible humans I’m blessed to work with. In addition to my job function, I regularly host training workshops for the company, teaching employees how to release limiting beliefs and bring more meaning to their work by connecting to their unique purpose.

My husband, Rudi Riekstins, is a high-performance coach who supports companies to elevate their leadership and overall culture. Together, we host The InPowered Life podcast and co-founded InPower University, an online platform offering transformational digital courses and coaching.

Writing is my passion, so I fill my cup most mornings between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. writing books like the one you hold now. My crowning achievement is the honor of being a mother to my two brilliant and beautiful children, Brady and Ali Olivia.

You might wonder how it’s possible to have a demanding job and home life and still make time for passions like writing, podcasting, and coaching. Yes, my life is incredibly full. I have intentionally filled my plate to the very edges with only what is aligned with my values and overall purpose. I’ve designed a life that fully reflects my authentic self, and the result is that I’m happy and fulfilled.

My journey to the purposeful life I now enjoy was long, winding, and messy. But I learned a lot and am now passionate about sharing this message with the world in any way I can.

The Universe Is Hiring is a call to step forward into living and expressing your unique purpose. It’s a love note from the Universe reminding you that you are a one-of-a-kind, limited edition, never-to-be-replicated human being, and you came here to do something big.

It’s a wake-up call to get you out of sleepwalking through your life so you can remember and start living your heroic mission.

It’s a guide, pointing you down the path that will lead to everything you seek — abundance, fulfillment, joy, passion, and love.

I’ve divided this book into four parts.

Part 1 guides you toward taking accountability for your life, reconnecting with your authentic self, and defining your unique purpose, and it shows you how to manifest your most important dreams and desires.

Part 2 addresses the standard roadblocks you will encounter when expressing your purpose in the world, including your fears, limiting beliefs, imposter syndrome, and comparison. These chapters provide self-awareness and tools you can use to break through the obstacles when they appear.

Part 3 is where the road map to aligning with your purpose begins. It guides you through the process I used and have taught to thousands of others. You’ll learn to start where you are, take inspired action, commit to your desires, surrender, and let go of the outcome.

Finally, Part 4 includes tips on embodying this new way of being and not falling back into old habitual patterns of survival-living. I guide you to trust your heart and feel your way forward, rather than relying solely on your logical thinking mind. I also teach you how to reframe your fears about money and encourage you to become a student of life so you can continue to grow, evolve, and expand into even greater versions of yourself.

It’s important to note that this book is not written for or against any one religion or belief system. I believe there are many paths to God, Source, Chi, the Universe, or whatever you want to call the creator of all that is. For this book, I’ve chosen to use the words “Universe” and “Source,” but know that I honor and respect each of you and the journey you have chosen to connect with your creator. This book reflects the qualities we all share, not the beliefs that often serve to separate us.
Here’s the truth: Nothing will change in your life until you do.

If you commit to joining me on the journey in the following chapters, you will make changes in the only place you can — and that’s within.

Suppose you take just one recommendation from this book and implement it. In doing so, you will forever alter the trajectory of your life. Knowledge isn’t powerful until you do something with it, so applying what you learn is crucial.

At the end of each chapter, you’ll notice a section called “Putting it into practice.” In this section, I provide at least one action step, exercise, or thought starter that you can put into action so you can anchor the information. Experience is the most outstanding teacher, so you need to create time to do the work intentionally.

The immediate benefit of doing this work is that you will feel lighter, happier, more hopeful, and excited about the future you are creating. Then, as you continue implementing the practices given, your external world will shift in small and massive ways.

My students and coaching clients have experienced new job opportunities, promotions, raises, launching new businesses, connecting with soul mates, getting married, moving across the country, buying dream homes, feeling balanced and calm, getting off anxiety medication, repairing broken relationships, landing book deals, and so much more.

It’s no longer enough to know that you have a purpose — you must know how to align with and embody it. This book is a guide to help you do just that.

I’m honored to play a part in your journey. Your life matters, and there’s something you are here to do. Don’t waste another day not living your best, most authentic, purposeful life.

Let’s get started.