Blowing in the Wind

One of the things that became obvious during our recent sailing certification course is the power of the wind. No matter how hard we tried, the boat would only go in the direction the wind was pushing it, until we adjusted the sails and aligned the rudder to compensate.

The flow of the current was not to be ignored either—the saying is “current is king”.  It affected the depth of the shallow water we were trying to navigate around Captiva Island, and whether we would dock bow first or stern.  At times, it was more of a force than the wind.

The direction and flow of the wind and currents affect our lives every day.  When we resist, using our energies to force our lives into a direction we think it should go, we feel frustrated and disillusioned.  It is exhausting struggling to make things go the way we want them to; resisting the natural flow of our lives.

Having a goal and vision of what we want our life to be, helps us move in the direction of this vision, like sighting the distant point we are tacking towards.  Although we have a goal in mind we must always remember that there are multiple forces at work; many layers of circumstances that may prescribe a different outcome. And they may certainly dictate the course we steer.

The “Law of Attraction” or the desire for a particular outcome is only part of the story—karma, Divine will, physical events, unplanned circumstances all come into play and affect the direction of our lives. It is how we respond to these events that fosters growth and wisdom for us, not the actual events themselves.

Creating our vision and then releasing it saying, “This or something better” releases us from the guilt of not manifesting exactly what we have envisioned. It takes courage to let go of the notion that we must control our lives and do everything by ourselves.

Moving with this flow, like a sailor using the wind, opens us to the mystery and wonder the universe holds for us. It encourages us to trust that the universe is taking us exactly where we need to be for our next step toward growth. It opens us to possibilities that exist beyond the grasp of our control and maybe even beyond the power of our imagination—bringing us a bigger vision than we could have imagined.

 

“Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.”

Eckhart Tolle

Stepping into the flow of the universe can help us feel a connection to a force that is greater than ourselves and is always there to support us. Riding the flow of the universe can be effortless, exhilarating, and not like anything that we ever expected it to be. Our souls are freed when we go with the flow of the universe. All we have to do is make the choice to ride its currents.

My husband created a slideshow of our sailing trip. You can view it here.