It’s 2 AM, and I cannot sleep. Not too unusual for me. Reasons for my erratic sleep pattern include a sick cat, two Doberman Pinchers who prefer my bed to theirs, and having an open ear for my horses. However, there is another reason this morning; a wildfire is lurking.

Those of us who weathered last year’s fire are feeling the stress of the what if’s a fire can bring. Many lost their homes and have yet to rebuild. I was lucky, and damages to my property were minimal.

Listening to the firefighters’ radio transmissions gives me some security, knowing they are awake and doing what is possible in battling the uncooperating swirling of the yearly Santa Ana winds.

Those not from SO-CAL say we do not have a change of seasons; they are mistaken. We do. We have a fire season, which begins at the end of summer and is fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which arrive in the fall. Unless we are in a drought, it is followed by the rainy season, which can bring mudslides and flash flooding.

Much less predictable when it will occur; there is always a threat of an earthquake. When the birds cease to sing, and the air becomes very still, a native Californian will remark, “It feels like earthquake weather.”

Just as the regularity of the magnificent display of colors on the East Coast, our seasons are also inevitable.

In the darkness of the wee hours, waiting to hear if the fires will turn and head my way, I lay awake in reflective thought.

Those who are focused on why this happened are living in the past. Letting go of the past allows us to go with the flow of the moment.

Thinking about going with the flow, I remembered a comment,  “Going with the flow is for sheep.”

I could not settle with that concept, though. I understand the idea behind the comment, expounding that you need to be a mover and shaker to get things done, yet when we are moving in the direction best for our lives, doors will open to guide us where to go. We are moving; we are just not pounding on closed doors.

To go with the flow is like water.

Water flows downhill, moving effortlessly as it maneuvers around boulders, debris, and the curvature of the banks it encounters. It is a force to be reckoned with.

If, by chance, it is met with an obstacle, it will collect in force until it overcomes the blockade then it will continue its journey. It does not sit around idle, for even in the still waters of a pond, it is slowly eroding the banks, feeding flora and fauna and adding humidity to the air. It appears passive, and yet it is not.

The velocity at which it flows will change, but water will always seek out the path of the least resistance, continuing its journey downstream.

Like water carving through the stone, our lives encounter roadblocks, challenges, and moments of stillness necessary for our path.

Going with the flow is similar to the let go with one variation. The difference is a matter of trust.

To let go takes an active choice to trust in change. Choosing to let go of our inner negotiations: the why we should or should not flow. Letting go of the injustices we perceive life has handed us or our disappointments when our expectations are unmet.

Letting go of frustration, anxiety, and fear is necessary for learning to go with the flow.

By learning to let go, we simplify how we react to life. We cannot go with the flow if we do not let go of all of the self-imposed restrictions we hold over ourselves.

We must understand that learning not to sweat the small stuff is critical to letting go, and most of the stuff is probably small. So, letting go and going with the flow walk go hand in hand.

Simply, to go with the flow is the result of letting go.