Poets and philosophers have long used the analogy that life is a river;
as well they should, owing to the many similarities between
the two.
Water is life, after all, and our sojourn between birth & death
is a river thru time, which we explore with our bodies.
Life can be a wet, twisting, wild ride in times such as
these,
where the scenery speeds by too fast to see clearly;
and the dangers &
threats grow out of control,
leaving us longing for the backwater eddy of the
bottomlands.
Life can also mimic the stale &
stagnant waters of swampland
where the sickly waters never flow for
the reptiles &
flying insect vampires living there ...
laying in wait to prey upon those unlucky enough to be lost
there.
Somewhere between the extremes there is a tranquil place
where the gurgling waters of a clear meadow brook
become a welcome reprieve for the weary feet
of those who have long been on this sojourn.
The waters of rapid change leave us clinging to shore,
lest we be swept downstream,
like so much flotsam or jetsam
but the current just beats us to death the more we try to
hang on.
To survive these turbulent times
We must let go the tattered roots we cling to
at the rivers edge...just let go
and trust the flow.
The energies of life also flow very much like a river
and will treat you quite differently
depending upon where you are located
within the flow of that energy.
Somewhere between the extremes there is a place
the athletes &
performers call "the zone."
It is the eye of the
hurricane where life's energies
become an elegant flow
in which all things are possible.
For a great many of us on the spiritual path, the journey
becomes
one of being in the flow of life's energies as much as possible;
but it becomes hard, because the flow doesn't race around making us chase it,
We let the pace of life &
politics pull us away from the flow.
The flow is like a gentile, spring rain shower...
you know when
you're in it - no guesswork involved
Conversely, you could be standing just outside the flow
never knowing how close you were.
Intuition is your compass for finding the flow
It is felt rather
than seen
and nobody can lead you there,
you must find it on your own.
When we are in the flow of life's energies
things just become easier.
There is just less resistance in everything we do,
and a feeling we can accomplish anything.
Our spirit thrives on being in the flow,
and can grow bitter if deprived of it too long.
It's almost as if being in the flow
is our natural state of being.
Being in the flow is never to be confused with
"Going with the
flow" which is only
the modern doublespeak catch phrase
for total conformity.
If you follow your bliss,
it can lead you to the flow,
but bliss cannot keep you there,
Only intent & focus
can do that.
Ignoring the chaotic world around us
won't get us back into the grace of the flow;
any more than it would bring peace,
but putting chaos in perspective can help.
I have never known anyone
who found the flow by accident.
You must first have the intention,
and then the desire
to find such peace.
Sometimes the flow can be a physical location
where life seems to magically prefer your success;
but most often however it's where you are mentally
that determines if you are in the flow.
I once saw a painting of the Buddha
sitting, and smiling
peacefully while
all around him was burning in chaos.
That is being in
the flow!
© 2017 full re-post with permission only
~Other Voices~
