Following the Flow

"Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free:

Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.

This is the ultimate."

Chuang Tzu

People often wonder if it's really possible to live life in the effortless flow of the Tao (the present moment) - without all of the stress, worry and unhappiness that usually fills our busy minds. We long to know the 'will of God', and follow it without all of the resistance and doubt that accompanies our daily activities. Yet, if we take a look at where we are right NOW, including all of the circumstances, relationships and situations that fill our lives, we can easily see for ourselves what the will of God is - it's simply what is happening in front of us, right now.

The question is; are we actually present to what is happening in front of us right now or are we too busy planning some other moment, some future time, when we think we will be able to enjoy our life more fully? Perhaps we tell ourselves that when we find the ideal partner, the prefect job or go to live on Paradise Island, we will then be able to surrender to the flow and enjoy what is happening. In the meantime, we often wish we were anywhere but where we are, or doing anything besides what we are doing. In this resistance to what is unfolding now, we create anxiety and unhappiness for ourselves, and often for others as well. In this constant state of looking elsewhere for contentment, we miss the only moment where true contentment can actually be experienced, the only destination where inner-joy can be found - the Here and Now.

As simple as it may sound (and this is why it is so difficult for the mind to understand), what is happening now, and where you find yourself in this moment, IS the will of God, the flow of the Tao. How do you know that? Because it's what's happening, and there is nothing that is unfolding that the Tao is not allowing to unfold. Pretty simple, yes? So, if we wish to be at peace, to flow with the current of our lives, and be in harmony with 'what is', we might want to stop our habitual struggle and resistance toward the present moment, our unending attempts to control what is happening, and instead begin to flow with it, while cooperating and being friendly toward what is unfolding. In doing this, we just may find that life starts to be friendly back, and that we begin to enjoy whatever is happening right in front of us, knowing it is always occurring exactly as it should, for our highest benefit.