Flow and Synchronicity

An Excerpt from my Upcoming Book, "Flow Triggers: A Practical Guide to Maximizing Flow in Everyday Life"

In October 2019, I went to Amazon and searched for “Flow” (again). I do this from time to time to see what others are doing in this space. The book Living in Flow: The Science of Synchronicity and How Your Choices Shape Your Mind by Sky Nelson-Isaacs appeared in the search window. I looked at the “Praise for Living In Flow” page and there was a quote from my dissertation chairman, Allan Combs. I ordered the book and began reading it—voraciously. I quickly realized that Nelson-Isaacs and I were on parallel paths. I needed to connect with him. I texted Dr. Combs and asked him if he had contact information for Sky. He connected us. The dialogue has begun.

How I came to study flow and decision making within Fire & EMS was through a series of profound synchronicities. Nelson-Isaacs looks at flow from a different angle, one I had seen out of the corner of my mind, so to speak, but had not explored. The study of synchronicity as it relates to flow felt tangential to my work. As I read Living in Flow, I realized how I needed to take the time to integrate the concepts of synchronicity more fully into my thinking about how flow works.

I am very goal oriented. I have a mission, an intention for the way I live my life. I have a process for setting, monitoring, and achieving goals. However, my work in Fire & EMS has no stated goal associated with it. It is like the Gulf Stream weaving its way into the flow of my life. It flows on its own and is synchronicity-driven.

I describe how I feel about my journey into the study of flow this way: I am on a path where the light in front of me is very bright. The path has a canopy of beautiful trees. There is a golden hook in the center of my chest with a rope tied to it. The rope extends tautly into the light in front of me. I cannot see the end of it. It is pulling me into the light.