Just Going With the Flow

If you can't control the current of the river,
then don't fight it. Just go with the flow.
Anonymous

by Skip Cohen

​Sunday Morning Reflections is always about something on my mind outside of marketing and business. Well, this morning I woke up completely blank. I started to write this post three times and then gave up...until Sheila pushed me to stay on track with what's become a favorite Sunday tradition for both of us.

I think I've figured it out. I've underestimated the stress of the last few weeks. Hurricane Ian came blasting through, and we evacuated to the other side of the state and were safe. While it took six hours to get home (usually three), we came home to minimal damage. Since we've been home, we've cleaned things up and life is back to normal.

But throughout the entire time, I worried about keeping Sheila and the pups safe. And in those isolated moments when I wasn't worried about my family, I was wasting energy on the negative, preparing for the worst with our home. I'm grateful we're all okay, but that doesn't change the overwhelming sadness for thousands of "neighbors" just an hour south who lost everything. Our house is at 9 1/2 feet - had the storm turned just a couple of degrees north, it would have been Venice/Osprey/Sarasota in the news, not Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel, and Captiva.

And here's my point - I'm feeling numb, apathetic, and anything but creative. Instead of fighting it, I realized I had to just go with the flow. I have to accept how I'm feeling instead of wishing I could take a happy pill. It's okay when we're off our game.

A few minutes ago, I stopped moping around, sat down, and played with the pups. The two of them share an oversized bed, and I crawled into it and started telling them, "You always jump in my bed - well, why can't I curl up in yours?" The two of them went nuts, trying to squeeze in with me. That short burst of laughter changed what I was feeling enough to write today's post.

If you just go with the flow, no matter what weird things happen along the way,
you always end up where you belong.
Tom Upton

Wishing everybody a day where you can go with the flow. Life is simply what it is, but it's how we deal with the challenges that make each of us unique. You don't need to go through anything alone, and that's where those therapeutic long hugs come in that I always write about. So, whatever you feel as I write this, go with it. And if you're offbeat a little, don't worry about it. 

Happy Sunday or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.