Taoism speaks a lot of how we humans create hardship in our lives by going against the flow of the universe, and I agree. We swear we don’t like drama, and yet we constantly create it because we would rather look outward than inward.

Why do we have so much trouble trusting and going with the flow? Letting things unfold naturally? Why must we always tamper with what’s not broken in the first place?

We overcomplicate everything, and then we wonder why we are stressed out. We’re stressed out because we’re swimming upstream.

We are obsessed with controlling in a world where we can actually control very little. What if we gave up the need to control and let ourselves drift with the natural flow of our lives?

It should be the easiest thing to do, but it’s not. It’s not, because our monkey minds interfere. They tell us that we aren’t safe, that we can’t trust ourselves or the world. They tell us we should fear the unknown and try to control our futures at all costs. They keep us in a fight-or-flight state, which gives us anxiety, depression, and poor health. Our own brains are often our worst enemies.

Letting go feels terrifying when we aren’t used to it, but with practice, it comes as naturally as fear once did. This doesn’t mean we give up on our lives, or expect everything to solve itself and work out without our involvement. It does mean that we stay open to possibility and pay attention to our intuitions. We believe in something bigger than ourselves and trust that when we go with the natural flow and unblock our own energy, the universe will support us.

Aren’t you tired of swimming upstream? I know I am. I’d rather do my inner work and grow strong enough in myself to jump in and go with the flow. The other way isn’t succeeding. It’s time to try something new.

You can learn to trust yourself enough to stop fighting the energy flow of your life. I know that you can. You are brave, you are worthy, and I love you.