Think back to a time your intuition guided you to do something that later turned out to be other than what you hoped. Maybe it was to take a certain job or enter into a relationship with a certain person.

You took the leap, confident in the knowledge that your intuition clearly guided you to do so. Then later, the job or the relationship became filled with challenges. You might have wondered, “What was I thinking?” or, “How could my inner wisdom let me down like this?”

You might have even said something to yourself like, “This isn’t what I signed up for!” Actually, it was.

Sonia Choquette uses the term “divine soul appointments” to describe these situations. Divine soul appointments are part of our destiny, part of our soul’s purpose for learning and healing in this lifetime.

Was your intuition playing tricks on you? Was your intuition wrong or misguided? No and no.

Your intuition guided you on a path ripe with opportunities for growth and learning. Aspects of the job or the relationship helped you discover something about yourself or led you through a key period of growth in your journey.

We don’t necessarily grow when we’re comfortable and happy in our lives. In putting ourselves in a situation that rubs a little bit, the discomfort becomes the oil or the grease that leads to movement. The friction helps us learn and develop.

Once we recognize we’re in a divine soul appointment, then we ask the questions and do the work that leads to healing and growth. (See 5 questions that can help us find clarity.)

The Universe conspires on our behalf to bring us the opportunities we need for our soul’s highest growth. So rest assured, if we let a chance to learn and grow pass us by, there will soon be other opportunities.