The basic answer to this question is never. Why? Because any decision you make will have either a positive or negative outcome, which inevitably, leads to further decisions and outcomes which you never saw coming. This means that it doesn’t matter which choice you make as you will never see the long distant benefits or dis-benefits from the initial decision. It is part of chaos theory.
The above is a little ‘chill the f$%k out’ message from yours truly. And when you look at it this way anxiety and overthinking seems pointless and a little bit silly. This is one of the many reasons why going with the flow can be positive, though like most things in life we can’t simply dive in 100%. Sometimes we still need to stop and look at the greater picture.
The first issue with going with the flow is that it alludes to having no guidance from your consciousness. Therefore, if we want to do mature things such as buying a house and having kids then you must realise that this might not be the path you take. The spiritual reason behind going with the flow is not about doing what you are supposed to do, but rather, what you want to do. And these aren’t necessarily adult decisions.
The other problem around ‘going with the flow’ is that you offer your life’s decisions to other people. If your friends are not a positive influence then this can very quickly lead you to negative decision and experience. Yet if you do it with those that are looking after your best interests the experiences can be positive and aimed towards self-development and exploration.
So the question regarding when to go with the flow, like many, is based on a tipping scale and a balance between where you are in life, who you are around, and what you need.
This is today’s topic of discussion because ‘going with the flow’ is often talked about when referencing presence and mindfulness. It alludes to a supressed identity which is hidden by the fake person you portray yourself to be. This ‘fake’ person is the one that conforms to the 9 to 5 world, waits in line for 5 hours to get that next Iphone, and feels the need to have to go onto social media every 10 minutes in fear of FOMO or being out of touch.
Decisions we make to liberate us can sometimes be the same ones that end up owning us. That initial brilliant idea to earn money or own that new item gets old fast. We then repeat the process because it’s an easy serotonin release which our brain gets used to. The issue though, is that these things do not fulfil all our needs and therefore we keep yearning for more and more yet never being fully satisfied.
Going with the flow is about leaving behind your conscious decision making. Conscious decisions come from your identity and therefore do not reflect the inner self and its needs. Yet when we go with the flow we open up to any and every possibility. Our ego doesn’t get a chance to choose because it was never asked to make a decision in the first place. And this is the reason why you might find the things you actually want in life rather than what you think you want.
You don’t have to do this all the time though I do believe it’s beneficial to have a week or a month of doing this, so that you can see the other side of yourself. Be aware of the dangers (as listed above) but note that it can be a great way to lift the pressure of decisions off of your shoulders whilst leading you to finding your inner purpose and meaning.
The Lonely Spaceman 