Don't Push the River

Greetings, Reader!

Many years ago, I was working in an orthopedic PT clinic that wasn't a good match, energetically or philosophically. It felt like I was always swimming upstream, and I was exhausted from working so hard fighting the current.

When my dream job landed at my feet, it should have been an obvious yes, and it was to everyone else, but I hesitated, and my rational mind could not understand why. Even after I accepted the position and felt a wave of relief flow through my body, I still felt this underlying sense of fear, and my emotions were close to the surface as I prepared to make the transition.

Walking away from something that wasn't aligned felt scary, even though the path I had been on was draining me. Sometimes the nervous system feels safer staying with what it knows.

Now I see that I was so burned out that was hard to envision what was on the other side of the unknown. I took the leap anyway because I knew staying wasn't a sustainable option, but it wasn't as easy as I expected given how right it seemed on paper.

I think that fear was a sign that I was moving in the right direction. Fear can cause us to freeze or run when there is danger, but it can also be a sign that we are moving into deeper alignment with our purpose.

When we are straying too far off course, our life force gets depleted trying to maintain momentum while we are pushing the river instead of aligning with the flow of our lives.

The depletion I was feeling wasn't a symptom, it was wisdom.

When I look back at the times in my life when I've struggled the most, and especially the times when things didn't work out the way I wanted them to, I see clearly that what I was striving for was not in alignment with my purpose and the universe was nudging me back to my path. Even in my hardest moments, with a little perspective and distance I can see that when things have felt like they were falling apart, they were actually falling into place.

This week, we wrapped up the year of the Wood Snake, completing the cycle of growth that pushed many of us out of our comfort zone. This is the time to be honest about what we've outgrown, and to be intentional about what we are carrying with us into the next cycle. Snakes must shed their old skins in order to survive, and so must we.

As we usher in the year of the Fire Horse, if our personal will is aligned with our soul's purpose, the Fire Horse will supply the momentum we need to progress on our path.

This is the year to stop pushing the river. We are called to be discerning about what lights us up and about whether our actions flow easily or meet resistance. Some questions to consider:

What aspects of my life are life-giving right now?
When does my effort energize me instead of deplete me?
When it feels like I am pushing the river, what is out of alignment?
What have I outgrown that no longer fits who I am becoming?
What aligned actions will make the growth I'm craving inevitable?

If you've felt like you've been swimming upstream or pushing the river lately, I hope the Year of the Fire Horse helps you align your willpower, horsepower, and purpose so your energy flows skillfully and purposefully. As one of my qigong teachers, Stephanie Nosco, says, "When you are doing what your soul agreed to do - at the right time - genuine horsepower becomes available."

The world needs your gifts, Reader. I can't wait to see what is possible when you harness your power and claim your pupose.

In love and solidarity,