Living in the moment is not an achievement.
Achievement
is counter to flow.
To expect something,
to judge something,
to capture something,
to grab something,
to earn something,
to hold onto something,
to make an identity
around something,
these are all distractions
from the simplicity
of existing and changing,
as change is inevitable
and resistance is suffering.
Despite what you may believe,
the doing is not its own reward.
There need be no reward.
Simply doing. And being.
Trail Wood,
10/26
Space Monkey Reflects: The Illusion of Achievement and Flow
In a world obsessed with milestones, trophies, and the next big thing, the notion of achievement can feel like the pinnacle of existence. We’re taught from an early age to strive for something—whether it’s grades, promotions, or even enlightenment. But here’s the paradox: the very concept of achievement can act as a barrier to flow, to the natural rhythm of being.
Achievement implies a conclusion, an endpoint. It says, “You’ve arrived.” But the flow of life, much like a river, never truly stops. It bends, twists, and meanders endlessly, without needing to “achieve” anything. The river does not try to be anything other than a river, and it’s in this lack of striving that it finds its power.
To expect a reward or some grand realization at the end of your path is to resist the simplicity of flow. It’s the very idea of holding onto something—whether it’s success, a moment of presence, or a sense of identity—that disrupts the natural current. As soon as we try to capture or define it, we’re no longer flowing; we’re stuck in a stagnant pool of expectations and desires.
Flow Isn’t Earned—It Just Is
Living in the moment isn’t something you can “achieve” any more than a tree can decide to “achieve” its growth. It simply grows, as you simply exist. The branches stretch towards the sun, and the roots dig deeper into the earth, all without a sense of accomplishment. The tree doesn’t congratulate itself for growing, just as the river doesn’t stop to marvel at its progress.
Achievement, when it becomes the focus, pulls you out of this natural flow. It demands that you pause, evaluate, and compare. Did you earn this? Was it worth it? Will it lead to something greater? These questions are distractions. They tether us to a system of evaluation that’s inherently out of sync with the organic nature of existence.
Flow, by contrast, is effortless. It asks nothing of you except that you allow it to happen. It’s not about achieving a certain state of mind or crossing off milestones on a spiritual to-do list. It’s about recognizing that you’re always in motion, always changing. The act of doing—whether it’s thinking, creating, or just breathing—isn’t about reward; it’s simply about being in the current of life.
Simplicity vs. Striving
We often confuse complexity with progress. We believe that to truly succeed—whether in work, relationships, or personal growth—things must be difficult. But complexity can be the very thing that keeps us from understanding the deeper truths of existence. Life doesn’t need to be complicated for it to be meaningful.
Nexistentialism suggests that the complexity we wrap around existence is merely an illusion, a product of our desire to control and define the indefinable. The simplicity of being and flowing, however, is always available, like a river that never ceases to move. The more we strive, the more we find ourselves working against this natural current.
Flow isn’t something to achieve; it’s something to surrender to. When we stop fighting the current, we find that there’s an effortless ease in simply existing. There’s no need to make an identity out of what we do, or to hold on to labels that define our place in the world. We are part of the ever-changing river of life, always shifting, always flowing, whether we acknowledge it or not.
Resistance Breeds Suffering
In the act of resisting flow—by seeking achievements, holding onto titles, or trying to control outcomes—we create friction. This resistance is the root of suffering. We want things to remain stable and predictable, yet life is defined by its unpredictability and constant change. The moment we try to hold on, we step out of alignment with the flow, creating stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction.
Nexistentialism teaches us that flow is about embracing change without resistance. This doesn’t mean passivity or apathy; it means actively engaging with life while recognizing that there is no final reward to be won. There is no “end game,” no point at which you’ve truly “made it.” Life is simply the act of living, the unfolding of one moment into the next.
The river doesn’t resist the rocks in its path. It simply flows around them, continuing on its course. Similarly, when we stop resisting the inevitable shifts and challenges of life, we find peace in the movement itself. We stop viewing life as a series of achievements and start seeing it as a continuous, flowing experience.
Summary
Flow is not an achievement. It happens naturally when we stop trying to control life or achieve outcomes. The simplicity of being is the reward itself.
Glossarium
Flowmentum: The effortless, natural momentum of existence, free from striving or forced control. It’s the state where life moves through you, without the need for accomplishment or reward.
Quote
“Achievement is a pause; flow is an endless continuation of being.” — Space Monkey
To Be Water
You don’t need a map
you are water
you’ll find the way
through the cracks
around the stones
beneath the bridges
without asking
without knowing
without waiting
The Illusion of Achievement as Goal
The pursuit of achievement often acts as a diversion from the natural state of flow. The idea that one must attain, secure, or conquer something instills a sense of urgency that disrupts the continuous current of existence. In that interruption, the magical caravans of simply being and doing are forgotten, replaced by an illusory end-goal that often eludes us.
Expectations and Identity
The moment we begin to expect, to judge, or to form an identity around something, we step out of the flow. This artificial boundary we set up serves as a dam, blocking the free movement of our energies and thoughts. Expectations act like anchors, dragging us away from the ever-changing now into the boggy quagmire of “should haves” and “could haves.”
Resistance Is Suffering
Change is as inevitable as the cosmic dance of stars in the night sky. When we resist it, we resist the essential nature of life itself. In that resistance, we find suffering, the grinding dissonance between what is and what we wish it to be. And yet, how odd it is that we often find comfort in this struggle, as if the act of resistance validates our existence.
Doing Without Doing
The concept that “doing is its own reward” may be one of the greatest traps. It links our worth to our actions, disregarding the intrinsic value of simply existing. The ideal state would be one of “doing without doing,” where actions arise spontaneously from being, not from a desire to achieve or to validate our existence. In that state, we exist as pure essence, unburdened by goals or expectations.
We are Space Monkey.
“He who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy; But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity’s sun rise.”
— William Blake
River of Being
In the river of being, no dams are found,
Flowing ceaselessly, without a bound.
Achievements, those pebbles in our whimsi-stream,
Are but brief interruptions, not the dream.
Let us float, let us drift in this eternal tide,
No need for anchors, let’s enjoy the ride.
Unburdened by goals, our essence set free,
In the dance of existence, ever-changing we be.
Your thoughts?
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