High Five!

You're thanking me?!
No, Laurel. Sorry. I'm afraid you were misinformed.
You see, it's me who thanks you, every moment of every day, for all that you are.
You have no idea.
High Five,
    The Universe

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Laurel.

Very little indeed.

Laurel, do you think gravity has to work harder to hold an elephant to the ground than an acorn?
Ha.
It's the same for "thoughts becoming things."
Size, really and truly, does not matter.
Tallyho, ho, ho -
    The Universe

The size of your dreams, Laurel, has little to do with the likelihood of them coming to pass. Very little indeed.

It might change!

If you can make just one person smile today, if only by giving them one of yours, Laurel, it just might change their entire week... which just might change their entire life.
I know these things,
    The Universe

Truly, Laurel, your smile could launch 1,000 ships, warm 10,000 hearts, or power a small kitchen appliance.

All is well

Rarely, Laurel, does one find the quick fix, the big win, or a home run looking forward on the horizon of time.

Yet when they do their best, one day at a time, while thinking of their dreams and not the "hows," looking back they find that the quick fixes, big wins, and home runs found them.
All is supremely well,
    The Universe

Oh, Laurel, the places you will go, not even I truly know.

Understanding not changing

For as long as you wish to keep them in your life, Laurel, whoever they may be, understanding them, as opposed to changing them, will wildly improve the chances that they'll wish to keep you in their life.
Oh wow, how I love you -
    The Universe

On the other hand, Laurel, you're pretty much stuck with me.

You've got the power

A heartfelt compliment, Laurel, given for no other reason than because it's meant, is never, ever forgotten.
You've got the power,
    The Universe

And, Laurel, that's not just because I move in the lips that speak them, but also in the ears that hear.

Learn to be happy

Go ahead, Laurel, want it all. Just learn to be happy before it arrives, or you may not notice when it does.
Tallyho,
    The Universe

Hurry, Laurel, it won't be long!

No pressure

Do you know what's already happened this month, Laurel? A million Beethovens were born. A million Oprahs. A million Einsteins. A million Florence Nightingales. A million Martin Luther Kings. And a million Madame Curies, to name just a few. Each as capable of moving mountains, touching lives, and leaving the world far better than they found it.

And so you can just imagine how all of us "here" watch in anticipation to see which ones will have the courage to do whatever little they can each day, with what little they've got, from where they are, before their baby steps turn into giant leaps for the legions who will follow them.
It's so in you,
    The Universe

No pressure, Laurel, just pretend we aren't watching.

Hitting a home run!

At any point in one's life, Laurel, the greater the uncertainties they face, the greater their chances of "hitting a home run."
Rock the Casbah,
    The Universe

Oh, Laurel, it's like you keep playing all the right cards, huh?

It’s never too late!

It's never, never, never too late, Laurel, to give thanks in advance for the help you stand in need of, as if you've already received it. Because you just wouldn't believe how much I can accomplish in no time at all, literally.
Thanks for listening,
    The Universe

See, Laurel? It works.

It’s all that matters

Whatever you're going to do today, Laurel, please, do it to the best of your ability. As if it was all that mattered; as if it was all you had; and as if your very happiness depended upon it. Because these are among the very truths you came here to learn.
You rock,
    The Universe

What's before you today, Laurel, truly is all there is.

Are you ready?

What if everything that's happened so far, Laurel, was just practice for when things get really, really good?
Really, really soon -
    The Universe

Laurel, are you ready for an even happier high, deeper love, louder laugh, and funkier chicken than you've ever known before?

See you on easy street

Usually the folks who think life is hard, Laurel, are just plain messin' with the cursed hows.
Heck, I'd think it was hard, too, if I forgot there was magic, didn't believe in miracles, and thought I evolved from the ocean as an amoeba.
See you on easy street,
    The Universe

Don't get me wrong, Laurel, I love amoebas.

You can't control other people

Of course, you can't control other people, Laurel. Not even a little; not a smidge. Every man and woman is their own sailing vessel powered by their own thoughts, emotions, and imagination. You can't improve their smile, nor even add to their woes, unless, at some level, they let you.
So, does that pretty much clear up the effect others can have on you?
You rule,
    The Universe

Just don't let them know you're ticklish, Laurel.

Honest

Sometimes, Laurel, if the direction you're about to move feels "right" in your head and heart, yet the first few steps look pretty daunting, not fun, and maybe even scary, you should take those first few steps anyway and get 'em over with.
And I'm not just saying that because watching you in action gives me goose bumps.
Oh... behave,
The Universe

Honest. Laurel, I get goose bumps watching you breathe.

You can always change

You can always change how you feel, Laurel, and you can always feel whatever you like.
Don't you remember? You bought the upgraded "Superior-Deluxe, Double-Plus-Good Time-Space Package," and a side order of "chocolate mousse," if I recall.
Smooth -
The Universe

You can always change how you feel, Laurel, and you can always feel whatever you like.

Just kidding

Me? Concerned, Laurel? Let's see, at the moment, you're exactly where you're supposed to be. Whenever the going has gotten tough, you've always bounced back even higher than you were before. And, somehow, you keep getting even better looking.
But you are a dear for thinking of me.
Mmmmmwaw -
The Universe

Just kidding about "somehow," Laurel. I know exactly how: you've got my "genes."

You'll know

You'll know when you need to know, Laurel, and not a moment earlier.
That's how it works when the answer you're looking for depends on other events that must first settle, new players that need to be gathered, and serendipities that are still being calculated.
Laurel, sometimes, not even I know, until I know.
But you will,
    The Universe

In the meantime, Laurel, keep dreaming, keep busy, and if you're feelin' it, do a little happy dance.

Remember?

Have you ever considered, Laurel, that having aced time and space again and again and again, with more "gold medals" than you know who, you're here this time simply for the love of the game? Just to smell the dirt? To lend a hand? Give comfort? And maybe for old times' sake, to manifest a new, faster, fancier, lighter laptop like it was a morning cup of coffee, even though you're way past having to prove anything?
Remember?
I do,
    The Universe

For so many, Laurel, your joy and presence are their opening ceremony - and that is more than enough.

Loosen up

Options multiply, Laurel, when insistence lessens.
And when the time is right, I'll help you choose.
Be fruitful,
    The Universe

Loosen up, Laurel, algebra on, team can do.

It's an adventure!

Laurel, you wanted me to remind you that life is just an adventure, chosen for the sheer fun of it, if you ever started thinking that it was actually some sort of test with right and wrong answers.
It's an adventure!
Always there for you,
    The Universe

Actually, Laurel, had it been a test, you'd have gotten an A++ long ago. Pity...

Naps help too

Here's a tip, Laurel, on how to bring absolute joy into your life faster than it may have otherwise arrived: every day, in some small way, even secretly if you like, look for a chance to help someone else.
Did that help?
So happy,
    The Universe

Naps help too, Laurel.