Flow. That is one of my values. I find it compelling that the more conscious I am of flow, the more flow I experience.

This past weekend, my husband and I tackled a landscape project in a small area of our back patio filled with dirt and has been growing weeds for over a year. We went to Lowe’s to purchase quartzite flagstone, and after estimating how much we needed, we cleaned out the supply of two different stores to get enough for the project. 

The Lowe's team members were very helpful in locating more of the quartzite flagstone in another store, helping us load the heavy rocks into our car, and even gave us a few broken pieces in case we might need them.

We hauled the first load of the 40+ pound rocks to our backyard, and I began placing them on the dirt while my husband, Michael, went to another Lowe’s for the second load. We squatted, kneeled, and grunted for eight hours, placing stones like a jigsaw puzzle in the dirt while we listened to the “Hottest Jams” station on Spotify. I stopped once for a White Claw Grapefruit Seltzer just to give my back some relief.

We placed the little broken pieces between some of the big ones … and we hadexactlythe right amount of flagstone. Not one rock too many, or too few.

That, to me, is flow. We were in the flow of grace and ease working with the Lowe's staff, having the right amount of stone, and not injuring ourselves installing it.

There is a pond right next to our patio where two pairs of wood ducks mate each year. The parents spend a lot of time on our backyard patio, teaching their little ones to swim and get around in the world. They have been hanging out near their nest for several weeks now, and we get to enjoy their beautiful colors every day. While Michael and I were working on our patio, the four wood ducks sat on the fence 30 yards away and watched us. A few minutes later, a loon landed in the pond and dove to the bottom to get a snack.

The loon is known as a solitary bird. It symbolizes tranquility, serenity, and the reawakening of old hopes, wishes, and dreams. The loon relies on water, and water is a symbol for dreams and multiple levels of consciousness; thus, it teaches us to follow our hopes, dreams, and wishes.

I was potting some flowers to go on a trellis and was surprised when the loon flew overhead and landed in my neighbor's yard. A few minutes later, the loon was walking on my patio. We looked at each other and, at least on my part, enjoyed each other’s company. A few minutes later, he flew off.

Flowcomes in many forms. One of them is running water. Ilovethe sound of water, so I put a fountain on the patio. While I was filling it with water, a hummingbird came by to check out the turquoise pots and the colorful flowers hanging on the trellis. I felt so special to have such a delightful visitor!

According toWorldBirds.org, "the hummingbird represents an ancient symbol of joy and happiness. Its colorful appearance brings good luck and positive energy to our lives. No matter what your challenges are, the hummingbird spirit animal is there to help and guide you. All you have to do is to summon the little feathery sparkle."

I stood on my new patio surrounded by colorful pots of flowers and the sound of running water and took a moment to be conscious and aware of what was happening around me and enjoy it. The red-breasted hummingbird hung around for several moments, bringing a sense of energy and awe to me before darting away.

In the span of one day, I experiencedflowin many different ways. Creation chose to support me in many different ways. From the helpful support of the Lowe’s employees, the exact right amount of flagstone, the wood ducks, loon, and hummingbird. I was aware of being in the center of the flow where all the goodness comes and being open enough to receive it.

And to top it all off, when we were finished working, we even had a nice rain that washed all the dirt off the flagstone rocks and made the silver in their sparkle.

Flow is a beautiful experience! Take a moment and think of some of the ways you've been in the flow lately. Just being aware puts you in the posture of receiving even more flow. I say, bring it on! Let goodness come!