Sychronized Paddling

Once when I was living at the beach, I noticed two canoes floating gracefully down the canal in front of my house. Each canoe had two rowers. Suddenly the first canoe slowed down and began to zigzag back and forth, alarming nearby boats. The second canoe seemed to continue floating effortlessly without altering it’s course. What happened to the first canoe? I noticed the paddlers of that canoe were no longer synchronized. When one paddle was in the water, the other paddle was in mid air. It occurred to me that life is like synchronized paddling. 

When we are synchronized with the Universe, it is smooth sailing on our voyage. However, when we are not synchronized with the Universe, we slow down and start zigzagging all over the place. As we all know, that can cause a lot of uncomfortability, not to mention sea sickness. How do we stay synchronized with the Universe? We can quiet our minds and ask for guidance. Then when we receive guidance, we act on it with faith. Lastly, we continue to pay attention to the signs along the way and then we practice gratitude. 

Most of us are ready for some smooth sailing in our lives. Isn't it time we take control of our paddles and work together, respecting the natural flow of the Universe? Of course, synchronized paddling is a choice. As my daughter would say, whatever floats your boat.