This plant is dying
What I'm letting go of in my life
This plant is dying.
I transplanted it, thinking that would help.
It has not.
I think it’s because the new pot I chose has no drainage, no holes in the bottom to get rid of what’s not needed.
We all need that, don’t we?
A way to release what someone else thought was good for us, but we know better.
Good will donation boxes…
Release valves…
Drainage holes…
Watching the plant die a slow death is painful.
Each time I walk in the room, it brings me down.
And so, today is the day.
I will go shopping to find a better pot.
I will try to revive it and help it thrive.
A last resort…
One last shot…
After that, it will be clear.
Is this plant going to continue to grace our lives, making the energy in the home better, or has its good energy run its natural course?
Is it now simply time to let it go?
Letting Go
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about letting go.
Not just letting go of what’s dying in our lives and can’t be revived, but also letting go of habits that block our flow.
Oftentimes, these habits are compulsive.
Choosing what looks good instead of what is good…
Looking for approval…
Trying to guess the future…
Trying to control others or make them who they aren’t…
Interrupting…
Doing too much too quickly…
Expecting that our way should be their way…
I’ve also been thinking of those real-life things that, personally, run me ragged, change my rhythm—strategies I often use to try to keep up rather than honoring my own truth.
Coffee.
Sugar.
Salty carbs.
So many things run our nervous systems ragged, rotting our roots, speeding us up when what we really need is to slow to flow.
Flow Questions
What' are some small things that block your flow?
What are some areas of your life you’ve been neglecting that need to be taken care of?
What are some small (or big) things you’re ready to let go of?
What’s a 5-10 minute commitment you can make to yourself today that will help your life flow better?
Inviting Transformation
The theme of my Flow Circles for the month of March has been TRANSFORMATION.
As we’ve been gathering, our community has been talking about how the messy middle—that liquefied state inside a chrysalis—is still us. We go through carnations, constantly evolving and changing form, yet our true essence is always with us. Our true Flowing Self is here to stay.
The Messy Middle Power Move
There are two key moments in the process of transformation, moments when we are need to make a power move to help facilitate flow. The first comes when we finally accept that we are in the messy middle, bridging what once was and what is yet to be.
We are not who we we once were. But we don’t yet know who we are becoming. Change is happening whether we choose it or not.
Transformation always involves a time of in-between, in that liquefied form inside the chrysalis, the old form falls away and there is a time when what we are is formless, fluid, flowing between who we once were to who we are becoming next.
In that moment of acceptance, we realize that trying to control our own process of evolution will block flow. Instead, we are being asked to let go and cooperate with a greater flow working on our behalf. It’s time for the ultimate flow power move—listening and letting go.
When It’s Time to Come Out of Your Shell
The second most important moment in transformation is when that initial crack appears in the outer form of the chrysalis and we see the light shining through. We know it’s time to come out of our cocoon, to emerge, to start breaking through.
Those first movements of us accepting our changed forms can feel painful, definitely courageous. We are accepting where we are now and we are breaking out, even though our new wings may be wet, not yet ready for flight. But we know they will be ready soon. It’s time to move from a place of safety to an outer world that is unknown.
What’s Our Job, and What’s Not
In both moments, we are being asked to let go—let go of our need to control, of needing to know what is next, of trying to direct what needs no help from us. Because if we were in charge, our growth would be stunted, like a plant in a pot without drainage holes.
Trusting when we are feeling guided to take that courageous baby step of breaking out of the chrysalis—and not a moment before or after—is our job. Once we are changed, it is our job to let the world know by taking flight.
A New Flow Challenge ~ Letting Go Small Stuff
My 28-Day Flow Challenges involve choosing a 5-10 minute activity that you love to do, that has a high chance of getting you into flow. Sometimes, I lead a shorter version, like the 5-Day Flow Experiment some of us did together here on Substack March 1-5.
After participating in the first 28-Day Flow Challenge, participants often choose to Habit Stack, adding a new twist on past flow habits, like me adding doodling to my morning flow writing sessions (which is when I wrote this). Or, choosing a new 5-10 minute Flow Habit each month. Keeping the old, adding in the new.
We can also use the 5-10 minute baby step framework to create other habits to make our lives more flow-friendly.
For the last two weeks of March, in addition to my early morning doodling and writing Flow Habit, I’m experimenting with letting go of something simple everyday that is blocking or negatively affecting my own flow.
I got a head start.
Here’s what I’ve let go of so far…
Day 1. Coffee (I haven’t given up all caffeine yet, still drinking black tea.)
Day 2. Sugar.
Day 3. Dying plant?
How About You?
What are some small things that you’re ready to let go of, that will help your own transformation and boost flow in your life?
A New 2-Week Flow Challenge ~ Letting Go
There are two weeks left in the month of March. For the next two weeks, join me in experimenting with letting go of one small thing a day that is blocking your flow. By the end of the month, you could have let go of 14 baby flow blocks!
Comment below, or if you’re receiving this by email, hit reply and respond to me privately about what you’re ready to let go. Also, if you’re new to my 28-Day Flow Challenges and are still in the beginning stages of adopting your first flow habit, let me know how that’s going too!
A Flow Habit is a 5-10-minute daily activity that you LOVE to do and that has a high chance of getting you into flow, that feeling we get when we’re so into what we’re doing that we lose track of time. It can also be anything that makes us and our lives more flow-friendly.
We experiment and play with our flow habits—having a Flow Mindset, finding creative ways to quiet our inner critic and soften any rigidity is what flow is all about. The ultimate goal is to use flow as a way of reconnecting with our True Selves, our unique creative spark, and to honor where a greater flow is guiding us to go.
Starting with 5-10-minute flow habits is just the beginning of inviting more flow into our lives, and sharing our unique gifts with the world.
Curious About my Flow Circles?
For those who want to take their journeys with flow deeper, I lead monthly Flow Circles, both in-person at the Hivery in Mill Valley, CA, and by zoom.
My Flow Circles include sharing, guided meditations on the monthly theme, and an opportunity to share your 5-10-minute Flow Habit, for accountability and to inspire others!
Many who have participated share experiencing powerful ah-has, synchronicities, more flow, and abundance. There is something about the energy of a circle that is so transformational!
My Flow Circle at the Hivery meets once a month. My next one is on Tuesday, March 31st, from 12-1 p.m. The theme will be CLARITY. You can register here.
My Zoom Flow Circles happen in a series, and meet three times each month. This month we are focusing on TRANSFORMATION. Next month, we will be focusing on CLARITY. If you’re curious and would like to learn more, message or email me. I would be happy to have you join us for a sample circle to see what it’s all about. New groups/times/dates are forming.
Happy Flowing!
-Laurie
(P.S. Have you been doing a 5-10 Flow Habit? Are you ready to let go of something in your life? Hit reply and send me a private message. Or comment on this post on Substack. Let me know how it’s going!)