 |
Flowing
Gently Down Your Stream
by Laura Grace |
A while ago, I dreamed I was walking in a river swirling
with rushing waters. I walked and walked before I
realized I was going nowhere. I was walking upstream
completely against the river’s powerful current. It
seemed like a long time had passed before I discovered I
was taking the hardest route. It finally dawned on me
that if I would only turn around and walk with the river’s
natural current my journey would become much easier.
This dream was symbolic of a
relationship situation that was occurring in my waking
life. I was determined to follow a course that was
clearly not working, or, at least not working in
the way I thought it should. My dream, marked with
symbols of emotional and spiritual growth (moving
water), signified that I was indeed going against the
flow of life (river). It took the message of this dream,
along with a few others, to drive home the obvious
truth. Eventually, I realized it was time to surrender
my thoughts, perceptions and feelings about what I felt
I should do. For in my heart, I knew such resistance—as
demonstrated by my dream—was going against what was in
the greater good of everyone involved.
Daily, synchronicities are occurring.
They are the guiding lights, the "thumbs up"
from the universe that we are on the right track. In my
first book Gifts of the Soul I wrote about this
universal principle and shared how I’ve discovered
(the hard way) that doing what I want is meaningless if
it’s not in accordance with Spirit’s plan. Numerous
times, I’ve started a new endeavor only to discover
that I was careening down the wrong way on a one-way
street. Looking back, I can see what happened; my will
was going in the opposite direction of Spirit’s. And
until I got my own ego-driven ambition out of the way I
was blind to the fact that only Spirit’s plan works.
Our ego motivation stems from the desire to preserve our
small "self" image (personality, appearance,
accomplishments, body, traits, etc.). Following our ego
leads to fear and separation from others, while Spirit’s
plan is founded on love and the desire to help us
genuinely connect with others.
Time and time again, I can see how my
life has soared with meaningful experiences and inner
peace when I have practiced the wise saying "let go
and let God," versus the times when I have resisted
asking for and listening to my inner guidance. When we
fail to follow what our heart is telling us, we’re
faced with challenging situations that won’t go away.
Sometimes this means being faced with a job termination,
divorce, illness or financial loss. The consequences
seem to increase in proportion to our unwillingness to
surrender and choose a higher path. A Course in
Miracles teaches us that both "time" and
"Spirit" are very gentle when we remain
willing to use time on behalf of our healing. Yet, when
we fall asleep to our life’s purpose through delay,
avoidance, and diversion, the universe has a creative
way of waking us up—whatever it takes to get our
attention!
Now, does this mean that if we are
following the synchronicities presented to us and are in
the natural flow of the river of life that we won’t
have to jump hurdles, overcome challenges and face our
fears? No, since we are here to awaken, blossom and
shine, we are always being presented with situations and
events that encourage us to build inner strength and
integrity. But there is a big difference between the
quality of energy expended from working against the
current of life versus overcoming fear while in the flow
of life. The former is exhaustive and keeps us stuck,
while the latter actually increases our energy as we
address our issues and heal. Further, when we are not
seeing the "signs" and following them, we will
tend to feel further separated from others, God, and
ourselves. Yet when we notice the synchronicities around
us (and they’re everywhere), and trust they are
leading us in the right direction, we are able to more
intimately and lovingly connect with those around us.
You may be wondering, "What are the
synchronicities in my life and how do I know what they’re
saying?" One thing to keep in mind is that
everything in both your waking and sleeping life is
filled with rich imagery and symbols. Each symbol is
painting a picture that is mirroring your thoughts,
feelings, perceptions, actions and reactions. So take a
good look around. Notice your relationships, health,
work, finances, home, attitude toward life—everything.
All of this will show you the type of picture your
thoughts are painting. If you’re having difficulty in
identifying the synchronicities, step back, and observe
your waking life as if it were a dream; the symbols
around you contain the same powerful meaning as the
images in your dreams. If you were asked to title the
picture you have created, what would it be?
"Picturesque Drama?" "Walking in My
Sleep?" "War of the Roses?" "The Art
of Appreciation?" What kind of life are you
creating for yourself?
Right now, ask yourself, "Am I
willing to surrender my perception of what I think my
life should look like? Am I ready to practice having
faith and trust in a power that is greater than I
am?" If your honest answer is "No," then
expect more of the same. If your answer is an
unequivocal "Yes," then ask for guidance, look
for the signs and follow them. Expect things to change
for the better because they will! Asking for direction
is the foundation of any transformational process
because it empowers an exalted energy source to flow
through you. And anytime you’re expending energy
fueled by the power of love, you can’t help but be led
to the people, places, and events that nourish and
expand your soul.
To create a splendorous life imbued with
healing colors and light, practice flowing gently down
your river of life. Be willing to surrender your will
and align with the power of love. Practice asking, as
often as possible, "What am I doing this for?"
Get in touch with your intention before you take action
and you will quickly discover how willing you are (or
are not) to follow your river of life’s natural
current. We need not grow through struggle or sacrifice.
We can just as easily choose to grow gently and
lovingly when we’re willing.
© Copyright 2001 Laura Grace. All Rights Reserved.
Laura Grace is Co-founder of Infinite Wisdom, an organization dedicated to the highest human capacity, and a national author and speaker. As a regular contributor for publications across the US and Canada, Laura writes about human awareness and spiritual growth. Laura is the author of the widely acclaimed book Gifts of the Soul and is the creator and teacher of various programs, including the transforming and popular Self-Mastery Program, Claim Your Inner Power!, The Art of Compassionate Forgiveness, Wonderful Women: Reclaiming Our Power, Passion and Purpose!, Creating Soul in Relationships, Living the Intimate Life and several others. Please visit Laura's web site at:
www.LauraGrace.net.
From performing dream analysis for more than 20 years, Laura is an experienced dream counselor and
is currently available for dream analysis. She provides assistance in three ways: 1)
In-person, 2) By phone, 3) and via e-mail. You may contact her by calling
(888) PEACE-93.
|
