The members of my women’s group each pick a “word for the year.” I went round and round on which word to choose this time. Going round and round on some things is, unfortunately, how my mind often works. Finally, I settled on the word, “flow,” partly because I’d love to learn how to just let thoughts and emotions flow through me, rather than looping endlessly through my mind and body.
As a writer, the word flow has all kinds of positive connotations. It’s generally considered to be a state of mind in which you become utterly immersed in the story, fully focused and energized by the activity, and you lose track of time. It’s a pretty cool place to visit, I assure you.
My intuitive friends talk about entering a state of flow when they get really present. They can experience it even while doing the dishes or going for a walk. I’m working on that.
But flow also appealed to me because I’m desiring to be a conduit lately for good things to flow through me into the world, whatever that might look like.
I had also considered the words “non-grasping,” “detachment,” and “surrender,” which I’ve been studying and leaning in to during this time of sabbatical, but those words seemed to fit within the word flow. Because once you embrace (or hopefully achieve) those things, higher energy will flow through you better.
And flow seemed related to the minor health issue I’ve been dealing with, which I know is exacerbated by stress and worry. So, if I could distance myself from those two heavy emotions, I might get my health flowing again.
Flow also evokes the lovely image of a river meandering through a beautiful meadow on its way to the sea. Such a calming and reassuring image to return to, especially during these anxious days.
Then there’s the flow of time, which reminds me that nothing we, or I, am experiencing now is really new or unknown. The earth and civilizations have cycled through all of our current events more than once. We have wisdom from the past and we have hope for the future. We’re built for this, and we must trust that. That’s reassuring on those days when everything feels so overwhelming.
If there’s no such thing as “bad emotions,” then it’s okay to feel anger, fear, anxiety, and grief, but the trick is to feel them and let them flow through you and not get stuck. The good feelings, like love and gratitude and abundance, have an even greater power, because they can and should flow through us and out into the world.
Once again, my initial impulse was the right one. Flow was the first word that came to me, but my monkey mind had to question it. It had to wonder if there was a “better” word or if I was somehow “wrong” in choosing that word. But my body, mind, and spirit knew this was the word that could guide me through whatever changes are coming this year. It’s time to ask my ego –that well-intentioned part of me that thinks it’s helping when it points out all my fears, concerns, long-held beliefs, and adherence to societal expectations – to step aside for a bit. It’s time to give myself permission to finally go with the flow. Wish me luck!
By Teresa R. Funke
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