Flow

Decades ago — way back in the mid 1980s — I interviewed Stuart Wilde, metaphysical rogue and author of numerous New Age self-help books, such as The Trick to Money Is Having Some, Infinite Self, and The Quickening.

One of Stuart Wilde's books

I was struggling back then, but wrote freelance articles and book reviews for the health, yoga, and New Age magazines of the time. I was paid fifty dollars per review. I got the books for free. (That was the real perk.) It was fairly easy for me to get to interview the gurus, as they wanted the publicity. It was good for me, as I wanted to pick their brains. After all, I needed the help.

Stuart was a sleepy delight. We had breakfast — he had a three minute boiled egg and coffee; I had nothing, as I was broke — and I asked what was on my mind. I wasn’t a very good interviewer back then, but nobody complained. They were glad to speak to a so-called would-be reporter.

Stuart was kind and generous. At one point he looked at me with this soft gaze, and I could swear I could hear him thinking, “I love you, I love you, I love you…” He later invited me to his seminar in Houston, which was a turning point in my life. (I wrote about it in my 2003 book, Adventures Within.)

My (now dated) spiritual autobiography

One thing I remember asking Stuart was about how to know when you are in the flow, and what to do when things were not working out and you needed to change direction. (I have our interview on cassette tape somewhere and could check my question and his answer, but let’s go with this flow for now.)

I recall Stuart saying, “Sometimes it looks like you have hit a wall and nothing is happening, but the truth is, you’re right where you are supposed to be. It’s like climbing a mountain and you’re staring at the very rock you are climbing. You can’t see anything else. Looks like you are facing a block, but you are actually making progress as you climb the rock.”

His words comforted me over the years whenever I felt like things were not going well. I’d remind myself that good things were happening, that I was actually making progress, and I just needed to have faith that it would all show itself to me in due time.

Of course, from where I comfortably sit today, Stuart was right.

This lesson became apparent the other day.

I was driving my 2012 Fisker Karma EcoSport — the all electric luxury car I mentioned on this blog a post or so ago — when the slim panel along the left windshield inside the car came loose and hung there. I tried pushing it back into place. It wouldn’t snap. I started mumbling to myself how a $100,000 car shouldn’t have anything hanging in it. I decided I would get it fixed one day soon, and let it go.

For whatever reason, I woke up the next day and decided to call the car dealership. I was reluctant as it meant a drive to San Antonio, an hour away. That would mean giving up my entire afternoon. That wasn’t my plan for the day. But something in me said to call. So I did. They told me to bring the car in.

I drove to San Antonio in threatening rain, the Fisker service people took me quickly, fixed the problem quickly, washed the car, and put me back in it. Within thirty minutes I was on the road, headed home.

I felt wonderful about the whole experience. Even the sun came out, which made my washed brand new car look even more beautiful.
And then the phone rang.
I took the call over the car’s phone system, a first for me. Turns out it was Fisker headquarters. They had seen my previous blog post where I mentioned the car and how I get so many people staring at it, and they wanted to send out a press release quoting me. They wanted my permission.
Now stop and think about this.

Had that call come earlier that morning, or the day before, I might not have been so eager to say nice things. After all, my Fisker Karma had just dropped a piece of the car in my lap. I wasn’t happy.

But, I had listened to some inner nudge — where did that come from? — and took the car in, got it fixed, and was now a happy camper.

So when Fisker HQ’s called, I was all smiles and all compliments.

I told them, yes, of course, they could quote me.

That would be good for them, and also good for me.

Win-win.

THAT is being in the flow.

When I told the story to my wife, Nerissa, she said what she always says, “That happens to you all the time. You’re in the flow.”

While I appreciate the compliment, I wondered why everyone isn’t always in the flow.

And that’s when I remembered Stuart Wilde’s answer.
You are in the flow right now.

You may not agree to that assessment because you want your reality to be different than what it is.

You think you’re out of flow because you aren’t grateful for this moment.

You want something else.

The point to really get is this: you are in the flow right now.

Appreciate it, see its potential value, and you’ll awaken to how your life is unfolding.

Here’s another way to look at it:

Hypnotic Book On "est"

Werner Erhard (founder of est) used to say, “If you knew what God wanted you to do, you’d do it and be happy. Well, what you are doing right now is what God wants you to do.”
Think about it.

While you do, here are a few steps to get into the flow when you think you’re out of it:

Realize you are in the flow right now. You might be facing the rocky side of the mountain, and scrambling up it as you sweat and hold on for dear life, but you are exactly where you need to be in order to get to the top. Assume you’re right where you need to be for now.

Look for the gratitude nugget. Look for the lesson, or the reason you’re here in this moment. A year or more from now, you will look at this moment and clearly see how it led to something better. Look for that “something better” insight right now. Have faith it’s there.

Do the next thing. Action is how you move things along. When you get that inner nudge to make the call (like I did to the Fisker dealership), or write that email, or whatever it is for you, do it. Trust it’s the right next step in your flow.
You might look at your life right now and use the above three points as a helpful way to reveal what’s happening.

Life is a process, not a final moment where it’s all over and nothing ever changes again.

You may be — surprise, surprise — in the flow right now.

Could it be true?

PS — Some car talk: I’m well aware that Fisker has had some challenges, such as a new car of theirs breaking down as Consumer Reports tried to review it. I also know Top Gear called Fisker the luxury car of 2011. I’m aware the Chevy Volt, which Nerissa drives, has had so much bad press — not deserving at all IMHO — that Chevy temporarily closed down their Volt production facilities and laid off over 1,000 people. Still, Nerissa drives her Chevy Volt and loves it. I drive my Fisker Karma and am learning to love it.

None of this is to say you or I, or Fisker, or Chevy, is out of the flow of life. Fisker will repair any snags. Chevy will reopen production. Again, life is a process, not a final moment where it’s all over and nothing ever changes again. I’m delighted some car manufacturers are looking to eco-friendly design, and I’m proud to be on the early adapter bandwagon. But I’ll continue to drive my loud gas-loving Spyker and Panoz cars now and then, too. It’s all part of the flow. The real question is this: What is this moment asking you to do next? Go do it.