As mentioned in yesterday’s post regarding Nurturing Your Spirit, my MP’s as required by my reading of the Artist’s Way are really affecting my daily focuses and my writings. There is always a sentence that sticks out and stays inside my head for the entire day.

Today I told myself, “Don’t Go with the Flow. Be the Flow.”

I didn’t say, “Go Against the Flow.” I just wrote, “Be the Flow.” It’s a slight different paradigm of thinking. I believe if applied it can alter your outlook on your life and give room for you to take complete ownership of the path you take and full responsibility for the choices that you make. I will say it again.

Don’t Go with the Flow. Be the Flow.

I believe your life is the sum of your choices. Yes, there are circumstances that happen outside of your control. However, you have full authority regarding your responses and reactions to those circumstances. Therefore, your life is a series of choices that you make…the choices in your speech, thoughts, actions, relationships and so forth. You are controlling your life. God is not a puppet master moving your fingers. The myth of the devil is a lie. Unless you like giving him control too, then by all means believe in him. I’d rather believe that one controls their own life and the flow of life…that stream, that current that you’ve been told to either flow with or go against…well, what if we changed our paradigm of thinking ever so slightly?

What if instead of being in the flow going with it or against…what if you were what comprised the flow? You are the water. You are not the fish in the water.

Is that confusing? Is it too radical? Is it uncomfortable?

The world is comprised of energy. The entire universe. The galaxy. The ether. It’s all comprised of energy and you are energy as well. The very atoms that make up your soul, your spirit, your body…the essence of you is the same essence that all things are made up of. You are made from the very substance of  God. You can translate “God” into whatever you need that word to be. Doesn’t matter your religious beliefs. Christians believe once you are “saved”, the Holy Ghost or God dwells in you. I don’t think they mean it as a metaphor. That is meant literally. God is in you. Therefore no matter your belief, you are comprised of a holy essence and thus…you are the flow. You aren’t just in the water drowning, flowing, fighting it or riding a soapbox to take a stand against it. You are the flow. You are the god or goddess of water. (Just as you are the god of earth, fire, wind, sun and the ether too.)

What does this mean?

Pretend for a moment that you had complete control over your life. Pretend that you could do anything that you wanted. Even if something was “out” of your reach like your dream car…pretend that you became financially responsible, learned how to budget, learned how to save and after taking action, at some point in your life you were able to attain that desire. Pretend you didn’t know a thing about financial responsibility and therefore you asked your friends, you googled articles, you took a free seminar…you learned what you thought you did not know. Pretend after taking control, you were able to dictate how your life turned out. You attained the dream car.

Now stop pretending and actually live it.

1. Take full control over your life.

You may not see immediate results but after dedication, sacrifice, seizing opportunities, learning and diligent work, you will began to see the manifestation of your dreams and desires.

This isn’t just hoopla. I have wanted to live in New York since 2004! I’ve tried multiple times to transfer within the firm I was working with, find the right roommates, save up only to spend it, write about the desire…I mean, I’ve wanted it for awhile. At times I was discouraged, sometimes I gave up hope and finally I came to a place of just being present and learning to be satisfied. It was six years in the making but when it happened, it happened BIG!  The Universe, God, Me..whoever it was made sure I was taken care of head to toe. After six years, I now live in New York. And when I say “live in New York.” I mean, “I LIVE.” I wouldn’t change a single thing. I received exactly what I wanted! I could give countless examples from my life. Sometimes the goals I had took years to come to fruition and other times it was a matter of seconds. But in order to take control of your life, you must put in the work.

2. Splash around. Sway. Spill over onto the rocks and shore.

By perceiving yourself as the actually water instead of just being in the water, take the liberties that come along with it. Move around. Sway. Be calm or be mighty. Splash over onto rocks and the shore. Spill down a waterfall. In essence, make “mistakes”. Try things. You will never know your full potential if you do not try. In the trying you may find a million ways that do not work, you may discover that the dream you thought you had, you no longer wanted and thus in that you find a better dream…but it won’t happen if you don’t experiment and explore the full extent of yourself.

Take my life in the theater for example. Up until college, I never explored a life in the theater. Once in college, I thought perhaps I could go on to be an actress. I tried out in plays, I took acting classes and I figured I could be just as great as the next person. It wasn’t until I was denied entry into a higher level acting class, that I realized there were other aspects of theater. I had no clue that I was an amazing stage manager. It never occurred to me. But if I hadn’t stepped out and tried “acting”, I would have never discovered stage management. In order to discover the full extent of your potential, you have to move around and TRY.

Want some other quick tips towards BEING THE FLOW?

Know you who are.

Have an unshakable faith in yourself

Be courageous

Articulate your thoughts and point of view

Set Boundaries.*

(*Thanks so much Diann for reminding me of this.)

Know that you aren’t just in the water. You are the water. You can change courses. You can be adaptable. You are flexible. You can be a liquid or solid. You can actually change your shape. You can evolve. You can fill whatever space you find yourself in.

YOU CAN DIRECT YOUR LIFE.

Don’t go with the flow. Be the flow!

Photo Credit 1 by Pear Biter

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Photo Credit 3

While this article is different that what I just wrote, I definitely enjoyed reading it. Going Against the Flow by David Bohl featured on Change Your Life. Which I must say, the website Change Your Life is very interesting. Explore the site when you have time.

ADDENDUM:

I wanted to include a partial comment that was left on this post and my response because I think its helpful to understand more depth to what I mean.

Part of what Irendi wrote is, “If the “flow” is life, society, and the limitations placed on us, it makes sense. It doesn’t even contradict my beliefs…and I’ve never thought of life this way”

My response was, “Your second point…is the flow “life”? The flow is you. The flow is energy. I believe you aren’t just swimming in the water and that the water is what dictates what really happens. Then we look at it like, she’s a strong swimmer, that’s why she advances. Or she’s drowning. Or she’s swimming against the current. What if you aren’t the thing in the water but you are the water. You are what’s moving. You are life. Limitations, society…they are the things that get in the water. For example a rock being thrown in water. It may displace some water but the water is still the water. So limitations are the rocks people throw in water but you are the water. You still move and flow no matter what. I like this version of the story better. Also, I love your input and your point of view. You’re dynamic lady!”

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