GOIN’ WITH THE FLOW

“Life flows on within you and without you” – George Harrison

As I am preparing for another big change (moving into a new office
space), I’m reminded of the importance of “goin’ with the flow.”  Even
when you think you have the best laid plans, life happens…something may
not get completed on schedule, someone may get sick, and you find
yourself hitting a few glitches.  I find when this happens, it’s
important to notice my own reaction to it.  Because I’ve found going with
the flow has more to do with my inner sense of balance than with what is
happening outside of myself.

Say, for example, you wake up grumpy…maybe you didn’t get enough sleep,
or maybe you had bad dreams, or have let stress build up.  It seems on
those days, things only get worse.  You stub your toe on the way to the
bathroom, you’re out of coffee filters, and you burn the toast.  On top
of that, you can’t find your car keys and when you finally do get on your
way, every traffic light is red.  And the day just continues on that way…

Lao-Tzu, the father of Taoism, said, “Life is a series of natural and
spontaneous changes.  Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow.  Let
reality be reality.  Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way
they like.”  I love that!  And I believe that a key to flowing with
life’s natural rhythms is to be non-resistant.  As soon as we quit
resisting and let go of trying to control things, the energy frees up and
things start to move with fluidity.

You may ask, why do we resist?  Sometime it’s because we want things to
be perfect and we have fear of making a mistake.  We may start to feel
that other people and things have control over us, which could lead to
anger and frustration.  If we can let go of the anger around things not
going our way, then our own energy starts to relax and we start to
manifest a more relaxed energy around us.  We seem to be a society of
well-trained resisters!  It may help to examine from whom did you learn
the art of resistance…parents, siblings, teachers?   It’s okay to release
and let go of old habits.

Another thing that can be helpful in “goin’ with the flow” is to start
your day in a more calm space.  Meditation and inner reflection can help
us be more in touch with what we are feeling inside.  Notice if you are
out of balance, or if you are holding onto resistance.  You can start to
release the resistance you are carrying before it gets the better of you.

So relax and enjoy life.  Because if you just spend your time and energy
resisting the flow, you may miss out on some wonderful opportunities!
© Jill Miller 2010


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