The heat of July has burned the tips of trees, flowers, and even the drought tolerant landscaping in our front yard. I'm reminded each Summer that Los Angeles used to be a desert and where I live in Pasadena, wealthy Midwesterners and some East Coast folks would arrive by train to Winter.
While hand watering some rose bushes this weekend, my husband experienced an interesting moment with nature. While he put his thumb on the nozzle to create a spray of water, a hummingbird flew down, hovered for a moment, turned its head to look at him and then started to drink the water that was flowing from the hose.
My husband was in awe that the hummingbird had no fear of him and would drink the water that close to his hand. At first, he equated it to the hummingbird just being so desperate and hot, but I saw it as the flow of life and allowing the flow in everything we do.
“There is only a stream of well-being that flows. You can allow it, or resist it, but it flows just the same.” - Abraham Hicks
In Native American cultures, hummingbirds bring light, healing, luck, joy, and love from Spirit to those they encounter. A lot of people believe they're messengers from loved ones who've passed. Even if you don't believe these things, let's just take the hummingbird at face value and see what these magnificent animals can teach us. First of all, hummingbirds are one of the smallest of all birds, extremely light-weight (some hummingbirds weigh no more than a penny) and amazingly acrobatic, as shown in this Louie Schwartzberg slo-motion video on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday.
Despite their size, hummingbirds are territorial, feisty and will fearlessly defend its nest against bigger predators, which tells me that no matter our own physical size or how small the numbers, we should defend and protect our loved ones and what we value. Their physical lightness is a reminder for us all to lighten up! If we allow ourselves to release the heaviness and burden we all carry when we're fearful, worrying and not trusting that the universe has our back, our spirits can then start to hover and soar to unimaginable places. The hummingbird that drank from the hose did not let fear stop him from his desires, and we shouldn't either.
What's amazing too is that the hummingbird is one of the only birds that can truly hover. They can stay, in the same place, in still air, as long as they wish! We can too. To stay still, in the same place, for as long as we wish, to be truly present and in the moment is the only way to cultivate true joy and inner peace. Also, when the hummingbird is hovering, its wings form a sideways figure 8 pattern...or the infinity sign! The number 8 in Chinese numerology means fortune, and how perfect that lying on its side, the number 8 transforms into the infinity! To me, this means we will always have fortune, if we take moments to meditate and hover above our thoughts, then go with the flow of life and not allow fear to stop us.
When they're ready, the hummingbird can fly in any direction, even backwards, change direction, in an instant, and effortlessly shift from full speed to practically standing still in the blink of an eye. In this, I believe that it's important to look back and heal the past, but to stay present, and when it's time to move in a different direction, to be adaptable, easy-going and go with the flow of life.
While we should all strive to be easygoing, sometimes life isn't so easy. Perhaps as Abraham Hicks says, we are resisting the stream of well-being. In those moments, we should look towards the hummingbird and reach deeper. To get to the sweetness of the flower, hummingbirds first have to go through the tough, bitter exterior. I believe if we persevere, we too can reach the sweet nectar of life with relationships, purpose and money.
Have you had an experience from nature that awed you? Subscribe and share your story in the comments section below. To help you find your flow and release money fears and worry, let's talk! Go to the main site and sign up today. I'd be honored to be part of your journey to create financial flow in the same way you cultivate creative flow in your life.
With so much gratitude and love,
