When you get inspiration, or as Wayne Dyer says, in-spirit-ation, on something, where does that come from? It may seem to come “out of the blue” or just pop into your head, but I’ll bet that if you track the exact moment that happened, you were doing something you felt joyful about. Inspiration comes to us when we feel tuned in, tapped in and turned on, as the old phrase goes. This is when we are getting dictation directly from the Source, or whatever you term your stream of Higher Awareness.

And speaking of streams, my dear friend Abraham has been sharing this analogy lately. Suppose you put your canoe in the stream and instead of going with the current, you turn upstream and start paddling as hard as you can. You might get somewhere, but it will be with a lot of effort and hard work. This is how most of us have been taught. No pain, no gain.

Well, there’s another way. What if you turned that canoe to go with the flow? Yes, it’s almost too easy. Yes, there’s hardly any effort at all. And yes, you will get to where you are going.

We can also think of this stream as our inspired idea. When you get some idea that just gives you goosebumps when you think about it, and delights every part of your being, it is in the Divine flow. Now this flow, being Divine, is perfect. It is flowing smoothly, gently and carrying you on to your goal. It has nothing hampering its movement forward. It is perfect.

Then some of us come along and start throwing boulders into the stream. These boulders are our fears, doubts, “what ifs,” “yes, buts” and anything other than the pure delicious thought that first hit us. Sometimes these boulders are offered by friends, family and others. Plop, they go into the stream, building up quite a rockpile that begins to eventually slow down the flow. Sometimes they can become so big that they look like large trees. The flow dwindles down to a small trickle. Then soon afterward, it will be stopped completely. Your canoe is stuck in one spot, not going anywhere. Your idea has literally been “dammed!” The inspiration grows dimmer and it’s harder and harder to remember the excitement you felt initially. Soon, it fades away entirely.

Oh, this does not make me feel good at all!

Now, there is the other side of the coin. Let’s take that same inspiration. We have just received it, we get goosebumps, our hair stands on end and we know we are on to something, something really, really good! We put our canoe in the stream, pointed in the direction of the current. We talk about our inspired idea with great excitement and enthusiasm and share it only with those who will support us in our vision, only with those who are already flowing with their own stream. This gives us even more energy to stay in the flow, without any barriers to our forward movement, heading straight toward our dream.

Which story sounds better to you? Which one would you choose?

The wonderful thing about being alive on this planet right now is that we always have choices.

An abundance of wonderful things are available to us. If we are truly wanting to live a rich, full life, the choices we make will determine in which direction we head our canoe. You can choose to work hard at it or you can choose to go with the flow and to be in alignment and connection with your Source.

Life is what you make of it. Your stream is as close as your next positive thought. Stay consciously focused on your inspiration, the purity of the flow of your stream, and the “boulder bullies” won’t be able to stop the current. Know that there are people and resources to help you on your journey.

Grab your canoe. Come on in... the water’s fine!