Are You Aiming Your Flow?

Despite what the title might suggest, this is not an article about teaching young boys how to pee.

It's about the direction of your life, and I was inspired by a few leaves flowing down a stream. I'll explain in a minute.

You've all probably heard the idea of "going with the flow", right? It's a great concept to keep in mind in order to allow yourself not to get too attached to things having to go a certain specific way all the time. After all, the Universe might be able to find a better way to put you and what you desire the most, together in one place, then just by doing it the way you imagined, right?

Who knows more, you or the UNIVERSE?

Exactly.

Having said that, some people decide to unbalance the concept of flow to the point where they say, "why set goals? I just go with the flow!". When you don't know what you want, this is where you start. We all need to explore different avenues in order to better decide in which direction we would like to have our next adventure.

However, if you know that you want something more than what you have now, you need to aim your flow. By that I mean you need to pick a direction and start moving.

Here's where the leaves and the stream come in.

This morning when I woke up, I glanced out the window and saw a beautiful mist hanging over the forested creek area near my home. I decided to go for a walk in the misty treeline and enjoy the opportunity for serene contemplation.

As I walked peacefully down through the trees and stopped by the cool stream, I noticed the fallen yellow and orange-hued leaves scattered on the ground and in the water. As the flowing current caught and carried different leaves with it, I thought of how each leaf was like a person flowing on the river of life.

For example, some leaves find a dead tree, climb aboard and never move another inch, either content in their cozy crevasse or afraid to be reduced to nothing by the constant bumps along the way. Others know where they want to be (further downstream) but they get caught on every branch and rock and corner that they come to, hanging on for a short or long period of time before finally letting go and making flowing progress once again.

Still, there are a few leaves who seem to be able to see far ahead of them and miss most of the branches and rocks that would grab them or slow them down along the way. Every once in a while they get caught on something or get splashed onto a stone, but if they know they are meant to go far, and never give up on that dream, something eventually comes along to sweep them back into the stream or they dry themselves off in the Sun and dive in again.

Those are the ones who had, or have, a direction for themselves.

Those that don't yet have a goal or dream to aim for are like the leaves that fall in the ocean.

The world seems so enormous and frightening that no one knows in which direction to go. So, many simply decide to just hang around where they are right now because it feels safe. Others go with the flow aimlessly. Letting themselves be pulled and pushed in whatever direction, with no rhyme or reason. The question is, are they truly happy or do they secretly desire something more? If the waters that the leaf is in is stagnant, the leaf will go nowhere. To go somewhere, the leaf must seek out and find a current, an area with other leaves sharing a similar direction. There are many currents in the ocean, each going in different directions and with different temperatures and speeds. If the qualities of one current suit the deepest desires and destiny of the leaf, the leaf will somehow find itself drawn to it. Eventually, when it stops resisting the change, it will catch the current and start flowing. It might then become one of the leaves in the rivers and streams carried far and wide in the waters of the world.

How far and how freely it flows depends on the the clarity of it's vision for the future, how far ahead it can see and prepare, and how willing it is to accept that things will never go from point A to point B without bumps, bruises and sometimes severe battering along the way.

Eventually, all the waters lead back to the ocean, which is abundant and powerful beyond comprehension to the little leaves, and is much richer and more beautiful after an amazing journey through all the rivers and streams of the Earth.

If the leaves are still in pretty good shape after their first run through, they might even go for another exciting adventure, sometimes catching another current going in another direction. All the while the majority simply float in a circle or continue to be pushed and pulled back and forth as the constant strain and pounding slowly destroys their ability to float.

Yes, all leaves eventually sink to the bottom of the riverbed or ocean depths... although some go down cursing the world as an un-fair place while others move on while blessing it in unending gratitude.

The question is, which leaf will you be? The aimless and frustrated... or the one with the vision.

CHB

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my site (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!