OT: Working with a Larger Energy

Going with the Flow

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 doesn’t mean we toss our oars into the water and kick back in the boat, hoping for the best. 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. We acknowledge that letting go and modifying our plans is part of the process. Going with the flow means that we are aware of an energy that is larger than our small selves and we are open to working with it, not against it.

Many of us are afraid of going with the flow because we don’t trust that we will get where we want to go if we do. This causes us to 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 in these kinds of patterns, do yourself a favor and open to the flow of what is rather than resisting it. Trust that the big river of your life has a plan for you and let it carry you onward. Throw overboard those things that are weighing you down. Be open to revising your maps. Take a deep breath and move into the current.

While I agree with the metaphor and see where this is and can be a good think, there is the problem that exists for those of us who go with the flow for the most part of our lives.  I mean, we go with the flow and trust the big river but when the big river doesn't really have our best interest at heart, well, it would be better to resist the flow and opt for another route.  I think going with the flow has benefits but I think we should remain individual and always be alert to what is in our best interest. 

 

Thanks for posting this.  You have no idea how much that last paragraph helps me right now.

Darlene....excellent!! Just what I need to hear today!!

Love ya sweetie.... hugs....connie d

Good one Darlene...I'm going with the flow!!...good thing my body floats!

"Take a deep breath and move into the current." Sounds so simple but so hard for me to do. How many  times in  my life I have figuratively sat by the side of the road, stood with a toe poised above a pond, stood at the top of a cliff, so afraid to just "go". Thinking is something I do so well. Action? Action risks making a "mistake" tho I truly believe the biggest mistakes I've made in my life have been those involving NO action. When I don't act I let others act first or "for" me. Their action is not necessarily what mine would be. And how would I know because I have "let" them act for me. As always, Darlene, these quotes make me think. Impulsive would not be a term used to describe me!