Don’t Push the River

I work with a lot of “successful” business people. They’re action oriented. They get things accomplished. They have a “can do” attitude. They push to make things happen. That’s valuable, except it can backfire with EFT. After all, it’s one thing to take action and go swimming. What’s important is whether you’re swimming with the current or against it. The book by Barry Stevens, published years ago, aptly put it: Don’t Push the River (It Flows By Itself). Same with EFT.
When you do EFT, do it in the same vein as voice teacher Bruce Schoonmaker explains about teaching people to sing:
The kind of energy necessary for singing, for expressing music in a meaningful way, is the energy of a three-year-old, completely engrossed in his endeavor, completely at ease, and completely vulnerable. This is, in fact, the nature of Zen, becoming so engrossed in what you are doing that you no longer focus on doing it, you only do it. The three-year-old is not saying to himself, “Now I am building a house with blocks.” He simply does it. He does not think, “What is the best technique for using these blocks?” He relies on a part of himself that makes the proper decisions.
When I first started doing EFT with people, I had to be willing to be vulnerable, to fail, to not get the desired results. I had to risk feeling “foolish,” or ineffective. [I could always tap on this.] Since I knew the value EFT offered people, that was fine with me. I had to keep out of the way and let EFT do itself.
Gary Craig, frequently mentions this as a key point in becoming proficient in EFT, especially in his video series, Steps Toward Becoming the Ultimate Therapist. Get yourself, your ego, out of the way. Be a conduit for EFT to happen and unfold. Let go of making it work, of being attached to the outcome. Do it, and trust where it takes you next. Let EFT lead you. Go with the flow.
Don’t push the river, right Barry?
that is soo true! i am using eft on myself but am really scared to do it with others. i will take your advice and will just go with the flow!