Only Dead Salmon Go With the Flow

The reflection for Thursday on the Peaceful Woman Maui Passage is “You are in the Flow”.  We talk about being able to flow with whatever comes our way, and not being attached to any particular outcome.  That last bit challenges me, as I tend to get uptight and cranky when events don’t unfold the way I think they should.

After the Passage in May, I mentioned that I was going with the flow in regards to a certain situation in my life.  “Only dead salmon go with the flow, ” a friend of mine said to me.  I’ve been thinking about it off and on for a while now, and I have to disagree.

I’ll get back to that in a minute.

I’ve been seeing posts on various social media and hearing about the teachings of Abraham, as recorded by Esther and Jerry Hicks.  A few weeks ago I decided it was time to look into them.

Because there is a book ban on at my house (I’m not allowed to buy any more books), I turned to my favorite alternative to bookstores: the library.  I went on line and requested several titles.  The first one to come in was The Astonishing Power of Emotions: Let Your Feelings Be Your Guide. I’m only about half way through it, but it is a very quick and easy read.

I instantly resonated with the idea that our physical form is just a tiny extension of our soul, or Non-Physical Being, as Abraham puts it.  In the book, Abraham describes our lives and efforts of manifestion like the current of a river.  Many of us think that we have to work hard to manifest what we want in our lives.  This is akin to paddling upstream.  We work harder, faster, longer, and we don’t get anywhere.

According to Abraham, when we desire something, the larger part of our being, the Non-Physical Being,  brings that desire into manifestation, downstream.  The harder we work to make something happen, the farther away from it we actually get.  “Nothing you want is upstream. ” What we really need to do, is go with the flow, let go of the oars, and allow the manifestation to happen.  The key is to bring the vibration of your physical Being into alignment with your Non-Physical Being.

So how do you do this? By paying attention to your emotions.  When you are in a place of fear, anger or anxiety, you are definitely paddling upstream.  When you are in a place of love, joy, and happiness, your are definitely travelling downstream.

When you notice you are paddling upstream, how do you turn your boat around?  Reframe the situation until you feel a sense of relief.  That feeling shows that you are letting go of resistance, and beginning the flow downstream.

Getting back to the salmon, they work really hard to swim upstream.  They do this to get back to the place they were hatched.  When they finally get there, they spawn, and then they die.  How many times do we as humans struggle to get back to some ideal from our past, even though we know it can never be the same?  And what reward do we get for our struggles to recapture that lost time?  Usually pain and disappointment.  Like the salmon, our efforts may kill us, or a part of us.  Yes, the salmon start the cycle of life for the next generation. But then they die! For us as people, our future lies downstream, and its a lot easier way to live!

I’m definitely going to practice letting go of the oars, and flowing downstream.

What are your thoughts? Do you see yourself as paddling upstream?  Or do you find life easier going with the flow, downstream?

Blessings,

Mary