The Penny Test: A Meditation on Consistency and Choice

The Penny Test: A Meditation on Consistency and Choice

There are moments when life feels unpredictable, unfair, or even chaotic. Times when we question whether there is any order in the world, whether there are any rules that apply to everyone equally.

In those moments, I take out a penny.

It’s an ordinary thing—small, plain, unremarkable.

But it’s all I need.

I hold the penny a few inches above my open hand and let it go. Without fail, every single time, it drops into my palm.

Gravity takes hold, and the penny falls.

Not once does it hover. Not once does it change its mind.

No matter who I am, where I am, or what I am thinking or feeling, the result is the same: the penny falls.

I repeat the test.

The penny falls.

Again. And again.

Simple, but profound.

The Universe Is Consistent

This simple act reminds me of an undeniable truth:

The universe is consistent.

The laws that govern existence—gravity, time, energy, motion—are immutable. They do not bend for the rich or the poor, the good or the evil. They are not swayed by prayers or demands, by status or power.

Gravity doesn’t care if you’re a king or a beggar.

The speed of light does not slow down for a saint, nor does it rush faster for a sinner.

The laws of existence are stable, and in their consistency, they create a foundation for everything—for life, for consciousness, for choice.

Bound by the Same Laws

The penny test reminds me that I am no different from anyone else when it comes to the fundamental forces that shape reality.

I am bound by the same physics as every other person who has ever lived or will live.

The wealthiest billionaire and the person with nothing both live under the same sun, breathe the same air, and are pulled by the same gravity.

The laws of existence are the great equalizer.

They do not favor. They do not discriminate.

They are consistent because they must be. Without consistency, there is no existence. Without consistency, there is only chaos—and chaos cannot create life, consciousness, or love.

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The Difference Is Choice

So if the laws are the same for all of us, what separates one person from another?

It is choice.

It is the decisions we make within the framework of those laws that define who we are, where we go, and what we become.

Gravity brings the penny down every time.

But what I do with that penny once it lands—that’s up to me.

I can save it. Spend it. Give it away.

I can ignore it or treasure it.

The law governs its fall, but my choices govern everything that follows.

This is true for all things in life.

The energy you release—whether as kindness or cruelty—will follow the laws of cause and effect.

Your actions, no matter how small, will ripple through existence according to the consistent patterns of the universe.

You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of those choices.

The Penny Test as a Spiritual Reminder

The penny test isn’t just a science experiment; it’s a spiritual meditation.

It reminds me that I am part of a universe where justice is built into the very fabric of existence, not through human laws or societal rules, but through consistency.

Every seed planted grows according to its kind.

Every action taken returns in kind.

Every energy released seeks balance, and every imbalance seeks equilibrium.

The universe is fair, not in the way people often demand fairness, but in the sense that it is consistent.

And because it is consistent, I can trust it.

I can trust that the choices I make matter.

I can trust that love, compassion, and truth are not in vain because they move through the same fabric of reality as gravity, light, and time.

Equality in the Laws of Existence

There is a profound equality in this.

No amount of wealth can buy freedom from time.

No amount of power can alter the truth of cause and effect.

We are all children of the same laws, given the same opportunity to live, to love, and to evolve.

The penny falls for us all.

The question is: what do we do with it?

Responsibility in Freedom

Freedom isn’t the absence of rules.

It’s the ability to choose within the framework of consistent laws.

And with that freedom comes responsibility.

You are free to sow kindness or cruelty.

Free to act with integrity or deceit.

But whatever you sow, you will reap—because the universe is consistent.

The Penny as a Symbol

For me, the penny has become a symbol.

Of the unchanging truth of existence.

Of the equality that exists beneath all our differences.

Of the power of choice.

Every time it falls, I am reminded that no one is above or below the laws of existence.

I am reminded that my choices define me, not my circumstances or my desires.

And I am reminded that the universe, in all its complexity, is ultimately consistent and trustworthy.

Conclusion: Living in Alignment with the Laws of the Universe

The penny test is simple.

But its lesson is eternal:

The laws of the universe apply to us all.

And within those laws lies the freedom to choose, the responsibility to act, and the opportunity to grow.

The universe gives each of us the same consistent foundation.

The rest is up to us.