Riding the Wave - Again

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.
Henry David Thoreau

This article appeared in the Daily OM a year ago, and found it interesting to read again as a reminder. Once again, the flow of the Universe is carrying me to a new place. The UFP plant that had hired my services last spring was told by corporate last week that it was closing it down because of the bad economy and to protect shareholders - and share prices. The plant closure is putting a 150 people on the street in a community of 1,800 and will be felt by many other business's and families in the area. So...once again....I will be riding the wave to see where it will take me. In the past, I have restricted my search to 160 miles of where I call home. I need to release my concept of "home" and search farther afield. In the meantime, I shall be wave riding!

The Flow of the Universe
The flow of the universe moves through everything. It is in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and are blown away. It is in the blossoming of a flower born from a seed planted in the spring. The growth cycle that every human being goes through is part of this natural flow, which is also the current that takes us down life’s paths. When we move with it rather than resisting it, we are riding on the universal wave that allows us to flow with life.

Many people live struggling against this current. They try to use force or resistance to will their lives into happening in the way they think it should. Others move with it like a sailor using the wind, trusting that the universe is taking them exactly where they need to be at all times. This flow is accessible to everyone because it travels through and around us. We are always riding it—it is just a matter of whether we are willing to go with it or we resist it. Choosing to go with the flow is often a matter of relinquishing the notion that we need to be in control at all times.

The flow is always transporting you where you need to go. It is merely a question of deciding whether you plan on accepting the ride or having it take you there with your feet dragging. Learning to step into it can help you feel a connection to a force that is greater than you and is always there to support you. The decision to go with the flow takes courage because you are surrendering the belief that you need to do everything by yourself. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and unlike anything you ever expected. When you are receptive to being in it, you open yourself to possibilities that exist beyond the grasp of your control.

As a child, you were naturally swept by the flow. Tears of sadness falling down your face could just as quickly turn to tears of laughter. The mere tiniest wave carrying you forward off the shores of the ocean could transport you into peals of delight.

Our souls feel good when we go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents.