Go with the flow

You hear them often. These loose, spiritual phrases that roll off the tongue like fortune cookie wisdom.

"Just let it go."

"Go with the flow."

I’ve heard them both more times than I can count. And for a long time, neither sat quite right.

I’ve never been good at letting go. I used to be called a pitbull. Once I grabbed on to something, I just… couldn’t release it. And yes, I held on longer than most, but always with purpose. I knew when to stop. I held on just long enough to get results. Not for drama. Not for pride. But because letting go too soon meant giving up before the finish line.

But when the result was there? I let go instantly. Just like that. Clean. Sharp. Done.

So no ... letting go was never about not knowing when. It was about not needing to. Because I was in it for the outcome. And once the outcome came, the grip loosened naturally.

But that’s not what this post is about.

The conversation that sparked this wasn’t about control or productivity. It was about presence.

I was talking to my husband about how I’ve been trying to stay more in the moment. How I’ve been working on breathing space into my days, calming the whirring in my head.

And he said something that stopped me.

"Let it go," he offered gently.

But I paused. And then I said, “No. This isn’t about letting go. It’s about learning to go with the flow.” That’s when it clicked.

Letting go is about release. Going with the flow is about trust.

Letting go clears space. Going with the flow says: I believe something good will fill it.

They sound similar. But one is focused on loosening the grip on negativity. The other is focused on embracing possibility.

For me, going with the flow has become a quiet philosophy. It’s not passive. It’s not directionless. It’s not about drifting through life.

It’s about knowing when I’ve done what I can.

And then releasing the need to push harder. It’s about trusting timing. Trusting the people around me. Trusting that the world will carry me for a while, if I let it.

It’s a choice to believe things will unfold. Not because I forced them to, but because I left space for them to.

So no, I’m not just starting this journey.

I’ve already begun learning how to flow. And I want to keep growing in it. Keep strengthening that trust muscle. Less control. More presence. Less noise. More peace.

Because sometimes the real work…is in not holding on. And in letting the current carry you forward ... when you’ve already done your part.