Right river, wrong boat – the universal flow

Right river, wrong boat – the universal flow.

As I write this it’s just gone 11am and I’m still in bed. Now I can’t remember the last time I was still in bed at this time if ever, apart from probably when I was hungover in the bad old days.
I’m still in bed because I got back in about 3:45 this morning, not from a party or some other shindig but from taking my brother to A&E. Like me, we both love running in the mountains and last week he ran up a mountain called Cadair Idris. On the way down he’d taken a fall and badly hurt his knee which in a nutshell he had left and had got infected and caused issues.
So at around 10pm yesterday he wasn’t feeling great and so we flew off to A&E. Chris normally comes and stays with me on a Saturday night, we head to the pub for a catch up and then on Sunday, either climb or go for a run as we are both heading to Everest base camp in November and also have some races coming up in the next few months so both training hard.

So what has this got to do with anything and indeed you the reader? Well, it’s all about flow again, and when I was in London recently I met up with my friend Marianne Cantwell and we discussed this topic and she inspired me to learn more and to write this post.
The more I read, learn and notice about this life we live, the more I realise it’s all like a huge river. The universe is one huge flow and we either move along with it or, we try and battle against it and fight the force and direction of the current. Sometimes we are in the fast flowing part of the river which is great, but sometimes I believe, we are in the wrong boat which to me means we aren’t prepared for that part and something then happens which forces us to slow down.
Like the other week when I contracted a sinus infection and was told by the doctor to rest and stop training. My brother has been training hard too and now must rest his leg. Fast flow, wrong boat.

When we realise we are in the wrong boat it’s our time to row over to the quiet part of the river and stay there to gather ourselves up again until we are ready to get back in the flow.
Other times we are stubborn and stay in the river and our little fragile boat smacks off the rocks and bounces this way and that having bits broken off it, letting in water, colliding with other people and their boats who are also being stubborn in their flow.
If you look around you in mother nature, does the weed fight and battle to grow?.

When the human body is being created in the womb, does it just all come together beautifully and effortlessly?
When things are in flow it’s all effortless and without struggle. Let me explain what I have learnt a bit more.

We are part of the universal flow whether we like it or not and the sooner we accept it, the sooner we can find the right boat in order to take us to where we should be going. I say ‘should’ because I do believe our path is already set.

In my other business which is running a small marketing and branding practice, I used to stress so much about the money side of it. I would see what other people were doing to promote themselves and do the same. I’d waste so much time and money and this was me coming from a place of ego. Me wanting the same recognition, me wanting to be earning the same money, me, me and bloody me.
I struggled so much. Ok I did have some great success but at big costs. Relationships, money, health etc. etc. I was in the river, wrong boat, not listening to the signs which in this metaphor were big wooden signs with big red lettering on saying THIS WAY, DANGER AHEAD and WATCH OUT LOW BRANCHES as I carried on regardless, smacking my head on every low hanging branch because I knew better as I struggled to steer my now rather battered and broken boat through my part of life and the universal flow.

When I learnt about the flow it all seemed to just fall into place. Life just clicked and the clouds parted and a big smile appeared on my face. It all started to make sense. I would reflect and see where I had gone wrong before. I didn’t know better, I wasn’t in control, I was stubborn and ignorant to life.
I was treating this universal law like I was the first one who had arrived and god damn it I knew more about life than life itself. Like a teenager who won’t be told.

So how do I live my life now?

I still have days where I smack my head on branches and bounce off the odd rock but they are now little bumps and tiny jolts rather than ‘holy crap what was that’ moments.

Does the river compete?

Do I battle in business? Simple answer is a huge NO. In fact a friend of mine who I have known for sometime and who I met up with in London the other week said ‘you don’t seem to compete, you just do your own thing’. and he’s right. I don’t compete. Why would I. Does the river compete? I carry on with what is right. I listen and take action on the messages that come through. I keep my ears and eyes open and do my best to stay grounded and connected.

Take my initiative #5ThingsClear as an example of being in flow. At the time of writing this, the initiative is only 7 weeks old and it’s already gone global. Yesterday I received a video from someone in Argentina who is helping by clearing up litter and helping the planet. I have ambassadors in the US, UK and other parts of the world too.

The whole thing has been so simple and easy without any struggle at all.
I’ve been asked to speak at a big event next year, articles in magazines etc. etc. Now if that isn’t in flow then I don’t know what is. Whereas before I would be in the state of ego and be thinking I had to do something (notice the word HAD) and would then go hell for leather to create something and be stressed, battling and not getting very far.
When we come from this place of ego we are pushing instead of pulling. You can’t push the river but you can pull it. Like building sandcastles in the sand and making a trench around the sides of it like a moat. We dig a trench so the sea can come in (the pull). But if we try and push the sea by putting up a barrier sooner or later the sand crumbles and the sea comes anyway.

Even now the more I write the stronger I believe this and reflecting back the more I see that all the issues I had in the past was because I was not in flow. Business, money, love, health. You name it I’ve messed up somewhere along the line.

So what is my big message and lesson from everything I have learnt.

It is to stop and listen. Stop and listen from a place of being grounded. From a place of being connected. From a place of disconnection from the World’s noise. From taking time to fall in love with the amazing creation of you . From a place of deep gratitude too. We have to love ourselves if we are to be in flow and truly connected. It means being able to be quiet and not be afraid of the voices that come up. To be strong and trust everything will be ok. Because everything is always ok. Isn’t it? I mean for all our struggles haven’t we all got through them?

'Flow is about ease, it’s about zero resistance, it’s about acceptance...'

Flow is about ease, it’s about zero resistance, it’s about acceptance, it is about love as I’ve said, not just for ourselves but for the whole journey. When I used to be stressed, angry or negative this would mean I was far from being in flow but attracting all the other negative crazy boats in the water and we were all shooting off down stream panicking and out of control.
But being in flow also means letting go of control. Control is about ego, remember we can’t force the river.
Does the tiny flower think it isn’t worthy of flowering because it’s small and not noticeable compared to a towering sunflower?
The universe is all flowing. Do we want to climb into the right boat, sit back and enjoy the ride or do we want to climb into any old boat or one that’s big and flashy because it looks the best and then head off without really having a clue and battling anyway?

The great thing is we have a choice and I’m learning more and more each and every day that the universe brings you exactly what you need and right now I’m filled with gratitude and love for it all.

I’d love to have your view on this and what you know about being in flow, or do you disagree and see life differently?
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