The hummingbird does not rest idly by waiting for inspiration before it darts under the eaves of the neighbor’s house, around the corner and over to the flower garden where it feasts upon the sweet nectar of the honeysuckle. It just lifts its wings and follows the flow.
Life is flow.
Our lives are flow, from the moment we take our first breath until we take our last: the circular rhythm of inhale and exhale; oxygenated blood replenishing the cells of our body and then returning to the lungs; nutrition distributed where needed, the waste eliminated.
But beyond biology, each of us follows the flow toward our innermost quest, our deepest wisdom alert for moments — ah, meet this person for she will be your partner in life — ah, take this class for it will reveal your talents — ah, take that trip for it will inspire your passion — and we meet that person who is so special and take that elective class that proves to be our life calling and go on that unexpected journey and discover our love for painting.
That is just my theory as to how synchronicity works in our lives. I believe everything happens in the flow, like magnets attracting or repelling in a given moment. Most of us are not consciously aware of what is taking place. We’re like bobbers in the water just drifting along, not aware that around the next corner our life may drastically change. Inwardly, we may feel uncertainty in our bones and anxiety in our minds, but we’re not sure why.
We can become more conscious of our place in life if we choose. Myriad opportunities exist to awaken to it. 2014 has been called the “Year of Mindfulness.” Time magazine profiled “The Mindful Revolution” on its February 3 cover. Meditation coupled with mindful practices in our waking life truly are a path to not only seeing the flow, but moving with it.
However, the human mind is a clever one, for its tendency is to want to be in control, and that is antithetical to mindfulness. If allowed, the mind will think and think and think you into despair. It will propose ideas out of the blue that not only are not true, but are so convincing that you will believe them.
The mind has many people believing that needs and desires of human beings are to be considered over and above any concerns of the natural world. That is why green energy is not what we all use to power our lives. That is why “treehugger” is a pejorative in some circles. That is why residents of Beijing and now Paris must wear respirator masks to breathe outdoors. That is why tropical coral reefs around the world will all be destroyed by the end of this century and the polar bear likely will be extinct, as well.
We are an intrinsic part of nature, down to our DNA and the chemical elements in our bodies, and yet our minds are increasingly separating us from nature. Instead of growing vegetables and harvesting them in a community garden, we use Farmville. Instead of walking the paths through Glacier Park, we watch images of them on the Discovery channel. Of course, many of us still revere nature, but the growing number of people who don’t should alarm us.
Technology, as an entity, mimics the mind and believes it has all the answers, and if it doesn’t have them now, it will find them, or duplicate that which can be found in nature. Artificial sweeteners. Artificial intelligence.
Human beings, like all creatures great and small, are channels of wisdom. And beyond that, we are intricate, multidimensional holographic portals for the soul.
These past few months have demonstrated to me that trying to control the flow never works. It is self-sabotage. It leads to sadness. It is a dead end. When I breathe and open to possibility and follow my instincts and create something new when I am inspired, good things follow.
The same goes for you — in your life.
