Tips to Be in Life’s Flow

By Lisa M. Templeton, Ph.D.

To be in life’s flow means to be paying close attention to all within and around you and following where your life is leading you. The recipe to flow is a complex variety with a lot of factors that need to be in place to feel more flow. The first and most important aspect is to be connected to a higher source - to be in flow means to be connected to something higher than yourself. When we are connected to God or The Divine, nature or whatever you deem bigger than yourself, we trust there is a bigger picture that can allow things to be more spontaneous. In this flow, we don’t have to master the next moment.  

Another important ingredient is listening to the signs around you – what is your life telling you? Are you truly listening? If we listen to what is around us, we can learn a lot about our path. For example, perhaps you have been considering taking on a hobby but you are not sure what to do. You have considered rock climbing, but you are confused and lack luster around it. In the course of a day, you see a person who is talking about rock climbing and then another who mentions it. You might then see a billboard advertising it and then get an email referring to classes being offered. The signs are there if you are listening. This example might seem obvious, yet it’s amazing what we can miss in our life when we are not paying attention.

Letting go of your resistance to situations is yet another important aspect to living in life’s flow. To resist difficult circumstances can only create more suffering. I know it’s easier said than done to accept whatever is going on, especially if it brings about a lot of anguish and suffering. If an event is out of our control, we have no choice but to let go of our resistance if we want to find peace. Notice anything you are giving resistance to and consider other options to stay in flow.

Living in gratitude always aids us to feeling more flow in life. Consider your blessings and try to look for gifts in difficult situations – our perspective on life is a huge aspect to feeling in flow. If we can see the bigger picture and understand that there are lessons and positive aspects to every difficult situation, we can grow and learn in ways we didn’t think possible for ourselves.

Be mindful of your thoughts – what we think and believe can be an aid or a major obstacle to living in flow. What do you believe? What is really true for you? Don’t just let thoughts float through your mind unchecked – listen to them and challenge if they are true. What is the evidence to uphold or deny the thought? There are times that I notice negative thoughts in my mind. If I allow the negative thoughts to continue, I start to feel less in sync with love. Inevitably, I start to feel distressed and my flow is gone. Once I take a step back, observe and check my thought – I can work to get back into flow, which really is ultimately, love.

Lastly, be your body – Many therapists have said that we need to be in our body. Rick Hansen, a famous neuropsychologist says, be your body. I like this because it brings an awareness of our entire body all at once. Here, we can learn more about how we feel about ourselves, others and our situation. To identify our feelings, we also can stay connected to our intuition, which will aid us tremendously in being in flow.

If you need help in finding your flow relating to this article, please feel free to call the clinic at 303-514-4058 for an appointment.