Currents

When I was younger, my friends and I use to tie a cooler to a bunch of pool noodles and float down the James River or in the Chesapeake Bay. Sometimes the cooler would break free and we would have to swim after it, or sometimes you would have to swim back up against the current to go after something that went ashore. Only recently I realized this is how the world works too.

I think of my existence in the universe as floating through a stream. No matter what I do, I am going to float to where the stream takes me. I can just hang out and float and end up wherever I end up. I can swim against the current and try to take myself where I think I should go, and trying to do this can get me where I want, but it is going to leave me exhausted, or overwhelmed, and I might even drown without accomplishing anything.

As a final choice, I could swim with the current. Use the combined power of the stream and my effort to not only proceed faster but further along the stream. My life is a stream and towards the end of it is a perfect life – spending every moment towards my higher purpose, entirely enriched and fulfilled. If I just float or fight the current I may never reach it, but if we use the current to our advantage and learn to harness it, who knows what I could accomplish, what you could accomplish.

I have been soul-searching for so long. I have spent the bulk of last year learning and growing and checking in with myself about what I want to do with my life. I have wasted a lot of time and resources trying to use other people’s solutions, systems, and tools, and while I have gained valuable knowledge I have also failed a ton and from this failing, I have realized that what works for other people doesn’t work for me.

I like multitasking, I thrive with it. If I am working on multiple things at once it helps me focus. If I just try to do one thing at a time, I end up staring at the screen, but if I am on a call, writing notes, building a website, and painting I will get them all done. I’m the type of person who if I am reading, I need to have music playing, and tuning out the music helps me focus on reading. If I am watching a movie, I might pull a book out and read a few pages and still keep up with what’s going on.

I spent all of my life thinking these are bad habits that I should try to stop and fight against, but lately, I have been leaning into things like this, harnessing the current.

I hate how cliche it is, but leaning into my perceived weaknesses has created a superpower for me. A big part of my personal growth recently has been to stop trying to force things and use the momentum of the universe to my advantage. This has had implications in every aspect of my life. My daily schedule and routine, my brain, my family life, and my career have all benefited.

I encourage you to step back and think about what currents you might be fighting, and how you can harness them in your life to propel yourself instead of drown.