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There are different words connected to this concept of “flow”. Intuition. Discernment. Luck. Psychic. Prophetic. Gut feeling.
The idea is that somehow you are tapping in to insight or knowledge that you may not have facts to back up. Flow is the idea that you are following your “gut” often enough that you are not in the way of God (or the universe) orchestrating things in your life.
When you look up “flow” it connects you to “flowchart”. It is that idea but on a more spiritual plane. Actions and choices connect to each other in ways that we can look back on in wonder.
Wikipedia defines intuition as follows: “a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning”.
So, how does this all tie together and how do we “get in the flow”?
I’m just going to share my theories here, no hard science, just my musings.
There are little indicators that we need to pay attention to but we need to learn to listen discerningly. We are all capable of hearing those “shoulds” that come out of guilt or shame. That is not the prompting I’m talking about. There is another, usually softer quieter prompting we feel - it’s like a fleeting idea often that something would be good to do.
It might be as simple as thinking of sending a card to a friend or taking someone a meal. It might be asking a question in a meeting that may not feel entirely logical or backed up by “conscious reasoning”. Sometimes following our intuition can feel risky but more often than not it is highly rewarding. The problem is that in order to get good at using your intuition you have to actually follow the hunches (and that can be a little unnerving at first).
Last night Bill and I visited friends who had lost a grandson 5 years ago yesterday. I had gone over with a box of kleenex and cried with them the morning that he had died. Our visiting yesterday was uniquely comforting. I had no conscious thought that it was the anniversary of his death. I did feel like I really wanted to visit them yesterday. Hmm. Interesting right?!
I’ve had many friends say “just when I’m really struggling you call or visit”. This is not about any genius-ness on my part. For me this is about an orchestra being played and I’m simply trying to hit my notes. I’m not conducting and I don’t know the big picture but if I can learn to pay attention to my desires and ideas, especially as they connect to relationships, amazing things can happen.
Please don’t hear me say to throw logic out the window. As we discussed last week emotions and logic are both important and should feed each other. This is about assuming that there may be a plan (by God, by the universe, depending on your perspective) and that there is an opportunity to enjoy participating at another level.
Some people tap in to this cosmic dance through meditation or prayer. Some people have simply learned to listen throughout their day.
How will you play with this idea this week?
What are your stories of “being in the flow”?
Until next week,
Marilyn
Marilyn Orr is a Professional Certified Coach, who, through her coaching business “ Capacity Building Coaching ”, thrives on building both personal and organization capacity through leadership coaching and development.
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