The river of life is a journey and we chose how to travel

In the Flow Academy we are just starting our latest 40 day challenge, which feels more like a beautiful adventure right now.

I am minded that we are all on a journey through this amazing adventure called Life.

There are times when we are floating gently along and all seems well, and other times when it feels crazy - either too busy, too stressful, everything changing and uncertain, or just beset with fear of the future, often unknown.

I was explaining this concept recently 🤔

For me life is about being in flow. In flow with nature, our emotions, our time of life, our surroundings in general.

If we return to the river analogy...

Imagine you are in a dugout canoe drifting along on this river called life. At times the river is smooth and calm we can look around us and enjoy the scenery, stop for drink and natter with our friends on the bank, or in other canoes.

We might choose to pause a while and try something new. Take some lessons and learn a new skill. Perhaps painting or abseiling or fishing etc. We might not know if we will ever use these skills but they are fun and we have chosen to use some time in the quiet stretches of the river to pause and build up our arsenal of attributes.

In doing this we find a tutor to guide us and we invest time and resources in improving our overall being - physical, mental, emotional, etc. We feel empowered and grateful. We are excited and look for opportunities to try out our new found skill. We are in "control" of our choices and our development.

At times, we will learn new skills through being on the river. The school of life... We practice our paddling, we learn to read the river flow, we notice what is happening around us and what signs are for things ahead.

We learn from those around us. The people we spend time with while on this journey will all have their own skills and pleasurable activities that they are only too happy to share. We learn from them, we practice with them, we spend fun times together with them. Life is good!

As we progress we reach times when we need to call on others to help us navigate further. Reaching some rapids, for instance. Negotiating white water can be super scary but taking an expert guide onboard to explain the concepts, then support and guide you as you test out your skills 'for real', not in a little pool on the side.

After we have negotiated the series of rapids we thank our guide and he returns to help the next group, while we continue armed with new knowledge and experience.

There are times when we split from the group we have been travelling with, for a variety of reasons, and maybe just for a short time or perhaps forever. We feel lonely, even lost. We seek someone to join us for a few miles to enjoy a few bevies, have a laugh, talk about new things, and basically raise our spirits. A new energy in the boat can help us rekindle our mo-jo!

As we approach another set of rapids, through this fearsome but outstandingly beautiful gorge, we have a choice to call on our previous guide, who is an expert at this type of scenario, or to find a new guide who may improve our skills and confidence even more. Neither is right or wrong, but we will know what is best for us. And sometimes we don't have a choice as our favourite 'master of the river' may not be available just as we need them...

As we go through life, cruising our river, we have choices to make in every moment. Do we stop here, paddle on a little further today, join up with others for a few days, secure the services of a guide for a particular skill/scenario, or find someone who we can stop and have a brew with every few days to just check in and share our joy, discuss what we have learnt and gain insights to what lays ahead? The choices are endless and are ours to make.

We will never have all the skills we need to navigate life, with joy, without having others share their insights and expertise. Regardless of who we are. The rapids expert, may need to have a guide to help with climbing this mountain which is the only way to keep moving forward under the circumstances - perhaps the river is in flood and completely unpassable for a while. White water expertise is no good in the wild woodlands, with bears, ravines and dangerous snakes.

But the 'experts' enjoy each others company too. They like to socialise and swap stories of the times with their clients. Life isn't all about work and new skills, there is always time to pause and play, to refresh and revitalise the soul.

Whoever we are, and wherever we are on our journey through life, the river keeps on flowing and we have the choice to pause, wait, continue, get help, have fun, and do what we choose in the moment. We can see the beauty around us, and enjoy the ride, whether we are speeding round a bend, drifting quietly in the shadows, or heart-pumpingly negotiating another hair-raising challenge.

Enjoy your journey. Find your flow. Seek companions and support when you need it. Take breaks and rest in the sunshine. Buckle up and enjoy the adrenaline moments.

This is life - find your flow!

Go well, 

with love

Lynda 

Life is a journey, enjoy the flow: Allow experts to be involved..

From the Life in Flow Series by Lynda Fussell

If you are finding things difficult please reach out and talk to someone. It is tough, any change is difficult.

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