Many of us put extra pressure on ourselves around the new year — in the form of exuberant goal-setting, self-critical reflections on the year just completed, or a general restlessness around our sense of purpose. Join me in loosening your grip on all of the above. The following excerpt (unknown source) was read to me years ago on a rafting trip in Colorado. Rivers are great teachers!…
The expression “going with the flow” is a metaphor that applies to navigating a river. When we go with the flow, we follow the current of the river rather than push against it. People who go with the flow may be interpreted as lazy or passive, but to truly go with the flow requires awareness, presence, and the ability to blend one’s own energy with the prevailing energy. Going with the flow means we let go of our individual agenda and notice the play of energy all around us. We tap into that energy and flow with it, which gets us going where we need to go a whole lot faster than resistance will.
Going with the flow doesn’t mean that we don’t know where we’re going; it means that we are open to multiple ways of getting there. We are also open to changing our destination, clinging more to the essence of our goal than to the particulars. Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don’t trust that we will get where we want to go… We cling to plans that aren’t working, stick to routes that are obstructed, and obsess over relationships that aren’t fulfilling. When you find yourself stuck, do yourself a favor and be open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current.
