The TikTok Viral 'Burnt Toast Theory' Asks Us To Trust The Universe

When you've lived through a global pandemic, rising living costs, and (if we're being brutally honest) the modern dating scene, it can be hard to trust the universe. The more things that go wrong in your life, the more you get the feeling that you're destined to be unhappy. If bad things keep happening to you, you might even start to think you're cursed, or you've attracted bad luck.

But the viral "burnt toast theory" that's making waves on TikTok reframes negative occurrences and teaches us to look at them from a different perspective. What if those pesky moments of bad luck were actually part of a bigger picture — one in which you do get the happily ever after you've been waiting for?

If lately you've been feeling like the universe doesn't have your back, or you're losing hope in the future, this simple theory might help you to find your faith again.

The burnt toast theory posits that there's a good reason behind the bad things that happen. It assumes that, ultimately, the universe is always working for you. It is always trying to bring you closer to your goals and a happy state of being. Sometimes, it brings you closer in direct, obvious ways — like when you run into an old colleague that happens to have a great job opportunity for you at the very moment you decide you want to start a brand new career. Other times, the universe helps in less obvious ways, which can make it seem like misfortune or bad luck.

If you burn your toast and you're late in the morning, your immediate thought might be that this is going to be a terrible day. But what if your toast being burnt leads to you trying somewhere new for lunch, because you're craving a good meal that you didn't get at breakfast? What if, at the new lunch place you try, you meet someone who asks you on a date?

The universe works in surprising ways, so the burnt toast theory asks you to give the powers that be the benefit of the doubt. Just because things don't appear to be going your way, doesn't mean you should lose your faith. You never know what the universe has up its sleeve.

Of course, we have no way of proving that there's a good reason behind everything. Beliefs like this tend to separate those who view the glass half full from those who view the glass half empty. You don't have to subscribe to the idea that you getting fired from your job is actually setting you on the path to bigger and better things. But a lot of people find that life is easier if you have faith. Bad things are easier to swallow if you believe that there's a good reason behind them, and things will work out in the end.

If you do believe in the Law of Attraction and manifesting your dream life, then the burnt toast theory is a good one to buy into. The law states that like attracts like and you bring into your life the things that you align with on a vibrational level. So if you believe that the universe has your back, even if it doesn't seem like it in the moment, you're more likely to attract the universe having your back. In other words, you're more likely to attract situations which confirm your belief: that everything will be okay.

You can really cement the burnt toast theory into your belief system by repeating affirmations. Every morning and every night, simply say, "The universe has my back." Eventually, having faith in a happy ending will feel like second nature.