I joined my wife in New Orleans for the quarterly managers’ meeting of the fashion company for which she worked. During a motivational lecture to husbands who had accompanied their wives, the owner of the company described himself as a man who “plugged into the flow.” He said that meant his objective was to flow as much of the profits from clothing sales through to the wives as he possibly could. He believed that was the best way to attract people to join the company, to accelerate its growth, and to expand his own wealth.

He added that some people act as reservoirs. Their goal being to accumulate as much wealth as possible. But they disrupt the flow and impede everyone’s success, including their own. To illustrate the disastrous effects of being a reservoir, he cited the recession that began after the September 11th attack. The Universe (all of us acting collectively) surrendered to the dragon of fear, and decided that we would conserve resources and stop spending. In effect we became reservoirs that stored, instead of flowed economic resources. The result was a recession for everyone.

Looks like we’re facing another one of those “reservoir times.” Several times each day we have a choice to plug into the flow, or to be a reservoir that disrupts the flow. In addition to the economic flow, there is also a love flow with our friends and family, an e-flow of connectedness on the Internet, and the flow of change. Are you plugged into any/all of these? Please plug into the flow of changes around you, because that flow will carry you and me to the goals we work so hard (but too often alone) to achieve.

From book “Taming The Dragons of Change” – see www.dragonsofchange.com