Life is going to take its own shape and form and take you along unexpected routes. Going against its flow will bring nothing but friction that wears us out eventually. So the wiser choice here is to subscribe to the cliched mentality of ‘going with the flow’. Let me explain further.
I’m a firm believer in dualities in life and I think that nothing comes in a standalone format. It comes with a ‘but’, an ‘or’, a ‘however’, sometimes even an ‘and’.
Let me explain: The wiser choice is to go with the flow BUT that doesn’t mean that you can’t chart your own path.
Our job is not to simply sit in the boat and let it toss us around when the ocean rages. Our job is to learn to row the boat and keep ourselves from getting seasick while the boat is sailing away.
To put it without metaphors, what can benefit us is to approach life mindfully and intentionally while also not resisting what it brings, too strongly. Our job is to accept it as it comes and then move forward despite that. We can pause along the way, take our time to process things, no problem.
But going with the flow ultimately means that there isn’t much room for stagnancy.
I don’t want to just get overly philosophical, but rather want to leave you with some applicable tips for this very topic.
Here are five tips to chart your own life while going with the flow:
Document life as you go- we often realise big changes or shifts in us or our circumstances in retrospect. Whether it’s through photos, journal entries, planners, whatever calls out to you - documenting life is a great way to introspect later on.
Find what brings you joy in your daily life - It can be smaller things, rather let it be a small thing. As we grow older, we start realising that focusing on the smaller brings us the utmost fulfilment. Often, bigger moments seem more pleasant in their anticipation rather than in their passing, but that’s not the case with smaller, less anticipated moments.
Practise mindfulness - The past and the future are concepts we construct, they are not actually realities. The only real moment is the present. It’s a big concept to wrap our heads around but it’s pretty exciting to think about. Being present, being immersed in the task at hand, being attentive to the people we are with, that’s a great way to start with mindfulness. It’s a practice that needs work, but one that’s very worth it.
Be curious about who you are - All the great teachers will tell you how important it is to be a student of life and for life. It is when we know ourselves better, can we begin to unlearn our own conditioning and broaden our lens of looking at the world. The whole concept of ‘Save Ourselves’ revolves around looking inward to project outwards.
Think of your bigger story - We can go about each day without thinking or doing much. Time is going to pass nevertheless. Thinking of your bigger story is like finding your north star. It gives your life a direction, a path for yourself to chart. Isn’t that what we were talking about all this time?
I hope that you found some meaning, comfort or learnings through blog post. I have also turned this topic into a Youtube video and a newsletter issue because even though this is not a very practical concept and more of a philosophical one, we all deal with this in our ways.
Check out my newsletters here: The Save Ourselves Supplement
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