In the quest for productivity, we often can get caught up in the chase for flow states.
It’s important to remember that flow doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s always accompanied by an ebb.
Nothing flows continuously.
Ebb and flow is the nature of life.
The rising and falling of the tides.
The crest and trough of a wave.
The waxing and waning of the moon.
The cycles of the seasons: there’s a winter that always comes around.
Progress and regression.
Expansion is followed by contraction.
We can’t have one without the other.
And yet our culture wants to make these moments of retraction or contraction “wrong” or “bad.”
Nothing is more dangerous than the myth of constant expansion or improvement.
It simply doesn’t exist. Not in nature. Not in the economy. Not in business. Not in personal pursuits.
The belief that we should “always be growing” can set us up with unrealistic expectations, leading to disappointment or even and shame when we have periods of contraction.
We can waste a lot of energy fighting these periods of “ebb” when they arise.
What if your moments of contractions or retraction were just a part of the ebb and flow?
If you want flow, you must embrace the ebb.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...