INSPIRATION + IDEA + EFFORT + RHYTHM + EXPERIENCE = FLOW

Many thoughts floating around lately as the "focus" of the activity of summer fades into the less structured transition season of fall and early winter - a time to reflect as well as re-frame based on lessons learned and directions still ahead.

One very clear lesson is "self directed will power will only get you so far". As stated on a card from banana blossom press (http://www.bananablossompress.com/index.php): "You vs Snooze Button - you win some you lose some". Ultimately any activity toward self evolution (exercise, nutrition, studying, soul-development..etc) falters when it becomes the proverbial "battle" of good vs bad, right vs wrong.

Thank you @Donna_De for reflecting back a thought on Wu-Wei, or what she referred to as "going with the flow". It started me thinking on what going with the flow both means and its proper use in our lives.

I had tweeted "Only a dead fish goes in the direction of the current..", to which @Donna_De replied "what about going with the flow". This is where a significant distinction became apparent between being purely "passive" or "dead" and the very different approach of being "relaxed" and "coming into sync with natural rhythms". A surfer is a very good example: If the surfer is passive and non-responsive they will likely get crushed with the wave and drown; conversely if they sense the awe-inspiring power & movement of the ocean, synchronize their efforts and actions with it, and come in tune with the natural rhythm and engage a true "going with the flow" they are able to masterfully find a great ride - what most surfers would liken to liquid enlightenment: balanced and purposeful, active and relaxed.

I replied to @Donna_De, that for myself WuWei and "going with the flow" implied a utilization of natural rhythms and forces to gain momentum - an effortless effort that creates a synergy that is greater than the sum of the parts. I believe we all encounter it from time to time - those blissful moments when outside inspiration, natural eagerness, our energy, circumstances and time all melt together into a perfect "flow" where we completely lose track of time or any sense of "struggle" and simply "ride the wave" toward accomplishing amazing things. Sometimes these moments are simple, when we apply our self to a simple task, other times these moments are grand when we work for hours on end toward a major project or other goal. What sets them apart is the sense of "Effortless Effort" or what I believe to be the true "Going with the Flow"...

When we nurture, seek out and develop these moments of "flow" in our lives toward self evolution the proverbial battle ceases to be, and even the notion of "will power" fades away. There is a subtle shift in how we engage these areas and life in general that creates a movement like the surfer "balanced and purposeful, active and relaxed". Like the surfer they neither create the waves nor have control over them, instead they seek the "experience" of the surf and ride. In life, when we realize we neither create our circumstances, nor have control over them and seek instead to "experience" life and "RISE" we are more likely to find our "flow".

More practically, when we aim not for external material goals but rather the "experience" we are engaged in we find effortless effort and a natural synergy that ignites momentum, motivation and musings....a soulful path of athleticism and personal evolution. Instead of fixating on losing 10lbs or looking a certain way, we aim to "experience" health, vitality and energy in the foods we choose to eat, the run we are going for or the fitness class we are about to attend. BE in that experience, develop experiential relationships with the environment you are in the people you meet, the foods you encounter - gain from them and give back to them.

INSPIRATION + IDEA + EFFORT + RHYTHM + EXPERIENCE = FLOW

Back to the surfer ... they do not aim for a particular spot on the beach, they remain solidly invested in and exhilarated by their place in the wave. engaging inspiration from the environment around them, they apply effort to the idea of experiencing the ride, needing only the perfect sense of rhythm to attain it ....FLOW. Even when they reach a spot on the beach, what remains more important to them is the experience of the next wave they will ride.......

Keep Rising....