Flowing It

Flowing It

“Resistance is Futile” or at the very least, a strange occupation. We can burn a lot of energy; psychic, emotional, and physical, in the act of resisting, and not gain a thing.

Resistance comes about when we say “no” to what is.

“What is” comes about through our thoughts. The attitudes we bring, our beliefs, our focuses, color the world we see. When I am focused on my foot, I will not be paying much attention to the lovely smell in the air. When I believe life is hard, I will miss all the little blessings that float in and through my days. When I focus on “no,” I miss a lot of opportunities to say “yes.”

When I believe that things happen to me, rather than for me, I am pretending that I am not responsible for my life, my well being, my happiness.

Why can I choose? What makes me enjoy? How am I aware?

Many of us mislearn that things happen to us. We can’t imagine that there is a gift in the occurrence. That feeling, of stuff happening to us, can make us feel out of control, and scared. So we respond to that by trying to control our outside circumstances, our loved ones, and communities. It takes a huge amount of effort, and doesn’t really get us very far.

When I choose to believe that things happen for me, that there is always a gift, sometimes a very profound gift, I open to my life. I recognize that I have enormous control over the quality of my experience, all through my mind, my thoughts, my ideas.

This means that as my life unfolds, I am interested in what is happening. I am curious about the lessons to be learned, I am excited by the hunt for the gift. I say, “Oh, this is how life is now,” and get on with things. Resistance is absurd.

What makes me decide? Why am I positive? How do things go my way?

I choose to believe that it can all be just so easy.

That doesn’t mean I never have discomfort, that means I flow with my discomfort, I don’t put emotional weight on it, whatever kind of discomfort it might be. I choose to soften, I choose to relax, I choose to trust. I remember to breathe, I remember to choose awareness, I act mindfully.

I may put my focus deep into the discomfort, but it is lightly, without negative emotional judgment. I may choose to pay attention to anything but my discomfort, not pretending it away, just not feeding it with my focus.

Why could it all be just so easy?

When I take responsibility for my life, I get to choose. I get to decide if I will suffer or enjoy. I get to decide if I will open my heart, or harbor resentments. I get to decide if I will make things easy or make things hard.

How have I changed from fighting it to flowing it?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 06132014