How to Move From Force to Flow
From a young age we are led to believe that our actions determine the course of our lives. We admire people who work hard, find motivation in rags to riches stories and love go-getters. Why? Well, because action seems to be a better solution than inaction. When we face a problem, we are encouraged to do something about it rather than accept it without a fight. We are instilled with the belief that it takes a lot of hard work, determination and effort to achieve our goals in life. Inaction, or cruising through life, on the other hand, is seen as a sign of privilege and laziness – or so it seems.
It’s important to differentiate between a forced life and a flowing life. A forced life has the elements of resistance, anxiety, confusion and MAKING things happen, while a natural flow is when things line up, it feels effortless and synchronistic events fall into our lives in accordance for our highest good. It’s what feels right to you – to swimming with the flow of the current, not against it.
Seize Unlikely Opportunities – It’s neither good nor bad.
You’ve probably heard of the saying – sometimes the best things in life will come knocking on your door when you least expect them. Whoever said this sure knew what they were talking about. And just think about it. How many times has a ‘negative’ experience turned out to be just what you need? Perhaps you were fired from a job that led you to start your own successful business. Or you ended a relationship you felt obligated to stay in, and then met the love of your life.
Although an experience may seem hard or devastating, it may be the opportunity needed. Everything happens for a reason so let life flow. It might be a scary thought to just let things be, but after all, you have created this opportunity for a positive outcome…which may not yet be revealed.
Find Strength in Failure
What devastates us most in life is failure – failure to satiate our ego or live up to other people’s expectations of us. This fear of failure leads us to be confined by the invisible shackles of “what if”. What if I don’t succeed? What if I’m wrong? What if I disappoint those closest to me? These doubts can push us to take forced road, deterring us from our desires and set up the very thing we are trying to avoid.
In every failure is in fact, a tiny success. Every time you fail at something, you come out of the situation wiser, stronger and more mature. Moving from force to flow is about listening to your inner guidance – your feelings and taking inspired action to lead you to exactly where you need to be…. And this could include being led to what is perceived as a failure. Look at failures as essential building blocks towards personal growth and success. It’ll make your journey through life much more gratifying and objective.
Plan Less, Live More
It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of habit and routine. We get so used to life going in a certain direction that we are sometimes afraid of drifting off course. As a result we end up planning every aspect of lives: creating a controlled existence.
But where does this leave the joy of spontaneity? As much as you want to be able to control and influence an outcome, you are not almighty. Stop looking at life like another page out of your daily planner that you can cross out as complete. Instead of fearing the unknown, learn to embrace it. Step outside your comfort zone and live in the present, not tomorrow.
As John Lennon once said “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” Trust in your instincts and believe that things will fall into place on their own accord. Sometimes the best thing you can do is surrender to the flow of life. Rather than make things happen, let life happen instead and let go. Move from force to flow. Take pleasure in the unknown and find peace in the unexpected. Only then will you learn to appreciate life working for you and all its fluidity, leading you down a path towards what you really need to experience.
