5 Ways to Go with the Flow When Life Gets Crazy

This afternoon I was chatting over chicken wings with a dear friend. “My word of the year should have been flow,” she said as we both accounted for the shit that has hit the fan over the last few weeks. Flow sounds like a really nice place, maybe like somewhere in Bali or France. Flow sounds like a soft breeze through a bed of wildflowers. Flow is the magical space where you hand your cares over to the Universe and ride the magical carpet of whatever shows up. It’s where you set aside your deep vision of what you think HAS to happen and allow the Universe to show you what you truly NEED to happen. 

Yes, yes this sounds magical - I’d like to be in flow, too! 

However, if you’re a bit of a control freak like me, you’d make a mental note that this is actually a stupid idea. Because maybe you’d like to just know what to expect. Perhaps you’d just like things to go your way. Wouldn’t that be ideal? 

The problem is when you try to control life and your world ventures even a little bit off track, you’ll find yourself needing a little brown bag to hyperventilate into. When you’re not in flow you are resisting the Universe and a bigger plan, which you will experience as negative emotions, anxiety, or even depression. 

Look, you’re smart. I guarantee it. You know what you want and you’re totally capable. But can I remind you that you didn’t create like, oceans and stuff? That you didn’t create humans and you didn’t give birth to an entire galaxy. Can you trust for five damn minute that the Universe KNOWS what the hell it’s doing? 

Perhaps you don’t need to tightly grip everything? 

The Universe isn’t happening to you, it’s happening for you. 

It’s easy to know what our goals are and work towards the bigger pictures but the reality is you will not know what the bigger picture ultimately will be until you arrive there. Every single choice you make, every hardship you encounter, is building your foundation for your future successes. It’s giving you the understanding, the lessons, the connections, and everything you need to get where you want to go (even if in the mean time It looks like absolute chaos). 

So being in the flow is crucial for your mental health and your success. But how do you get in the flow, when you’re clearly out of a flow?Going with the flow looks like this:

 1. Have ideas and intentions, but be flexible with what actually shows up. Love whatever arises, even if it was not part of the original plan or looks unfavorable. 

2. Understand the purpose or lessons in inconveniences, derailments, and situations that simply do not work out. 

3. Remove your deep emotional investment or reaction from small scenarios and instead step outside of the emotion to see the lesson or gift its providing 

4. Laugh at minor inconveniences. Take life less seriously 

5. Pray when you start to worry. Surrender all that right back to the Universe.

Set your intentions but ride the magical wave that shows you all of the things you need to learn or know on the way to your destination. Back off and love on whatever arises.