Free Will Versus Free Flow

I used to think that leaving things up to the Universe was a total cop-out. Surrendering and doing nothing didn’t feel logical, it felt lazy. There’s a lot of cardinal energy in my chart (Capricorn sun, Cancer moon) and I firmly believed that things happen because we make them happen.

After I turned thirty, though, my thinking shifted. I started to believe in the power of letting go and trusting the Universe. Partly, I think, because I was tired of forcing things and getting nowhere, and partly because there was a magical, unexplainable force bringing good things into my life when I seemed to be trying least.

Looking back now, it wasn’t that I’d stopped trying altogether though, it was just that I’d redirected my energy. Instead of stressing about career success, I focused on feeling engaged at work and helping my team. Instead of forcing friendships, I concentrated on peoples’ vibe and nourished the connections that felt expansive and whole. And instead of chasing happiness, I learned to love both the highs and lows that come with evolving. That’s when things started flowing.

So, sometimes doing nothing is actually doing something. Why? Because we’re co-creators in this experiment. Free will (taking action) and free flow (letting the Universe take over) are both equally important, of course. It’s about knowing when to tap into each.

When you start to put more faith in the unknown and focus on the process not the outcome, there’s less pressure to be in control of everything in your material world. Your task instead is to get to an energised, open, grateful mindset, and to take inspired action from that place.

The question is; how do you get to a place where you can comfortably release your tight grip on life?

1. Get crystal clear on your values and goals. Write them down. Take the time and space to really, truly think about what matters to you. What would a feel-good future look like if there were no limits? This helps you to tune into any amazing opportunities and signs that the Universe delivers you, and to say no to things that aren’t aligned — clearing space, time and energy for expansion.
2. Be okay with things not working out or making sense. If there is a bigger plan, it’s probably too big for our human software to understand and that’s actually really cool. Plus, finding out the ending in the middle of the story ruins the excitement.
3. Commit 100% to always being your own best friend and strengthening your emotional and physical immune systems so you can handle the chaos as gracefully as possible.
4. Trust the process. The future plan is unfolding how it’s meant to but not necessarily when you want it to.
5. When you feel stuck on the path to your feel-good future, shift the energy again — exercise, clean, dance or connect with a friend. You have to pause and reflect sometimes or you’ll get off track.
6. Only do things that feel authentic and real and good. The intention behind the energy is just as important as the action itself.
7. Tell the Universe your soul’s deepest desires, and then let go completely.

I’m completely in love with this cosmic experience, and I think it’s because I feel more connected to something bigger than I used to. Maybe my ego is getting out of the way. It’s incredible (and scary) that we can never really predict what will happen next, and that humans, and this Earth, and love and life, are all so complex, but at the same time, beautifully simple.

Yes, it sounds incredibly woo-woo, but maybe if it’s written in the stars, there really is no ruining it. You could take action or you could sit back. Every choice you make is woven into a big thread that’s transporting you to the next place, the next person, the next experience. As long as those everyday choices, are coming from the right place, there’s no going wrong.

Once you change your mindset and leave it up to the Universe, you suddenly have complete freedom to co-create your future, and damn that feels good.