Flow vs. Passion: Why I Choose the River Over the Fire
- Holly Culbreth
- May 12
- 2 min read
There’s a post floating around LinkedIn that caught my attention—
Over 12,000 likes, 700 comments, and 900 reposts.
The theme?
Flow vs. Passion.
And the world can’t stop talking about it.
It struck something deep in me, because I’ve lived both.
I know what it is to be driven by passion.
And I know what it feels like to be carried by flow.
Passion Lit Me Up—And Burned Me Out
I remember watching L.A. Law as a middle schooler, completely captivated by Susan Dey’s character.
She was fierce. A prosecutor who stood for justice with sharp edges and clear lines.
At twelve, I didn’t just admire her.
I became her in my imagination.
I walked the halls of junior high with a fire inside me—a passion to fix the injustices I saw all around.
That passion followed me into young adulthood.
It gave me grit. It made me bold.
But it also made everything feel like a fight.
Every goal was a mountain.
Every conversation, a pitch.
Every decision, an urgent sprint.
It felt powerful—until it didn’t.
Until I realized I was rubbing up against brick walls more than I was opening doors.
Flow Found Me in a New Kind of Culture
Everything changed when I was mentored by a woman in an organization that actually saw me.
She didn’t just push me to be more—
she reflected back who I already was.
There was feedback.
There was support.
There was room to breathe.
And for the first time, I slipped into something that felt like flow.
Flow isn’t forceful.
It doesn’t demand.
It opens.
It’s the feeling of timelessness when you’re creating something meaningful.
It’s a deep inhale that lasts for hours.
It’s where possibility meets peace.
Flow Feels Like This:
Neuroscientists call it a “flow state”—a neurological sweet spot where five key chemicals flood the brain:
Dopamine (motivation)
Serotonin (happiness)
Endorphins (pain relief)
Norepinephrine (focus)
Anandamide (bliss)
When we’re in flow, we’re not overexerting—we’re expanding.
The body relaxes. The heart rate slows.
We become more creative, less self-critical.
We lose track of time… and touch the edge of the eternal.
Can You Have Both?
Yes. But know where you’re operating from.
Passion is a spark.
Flow is a current.
Passion can begin the journey.
Flow sustains it.
These days, I choose flow.
I choose softness, sustainability, and the deep intelligence of the body when it’s at ease.
I’ve created a space for others to experience the same.
Welcome to Greener Thumbs 🌿
At Greener Thumbs, we are a community of high-performance leaders who have grown weary of the fight and are ready for the flow.
In our Circles of 10, we hold space for one another to exhale, reset, and reconnect to our highest rhythms.
We practice mindfulness.
We explore our seven life elements.
We remember our power. We’re on purpose.
Flow isn’t something we chase—it’s something we open to.
If you’re ready to shift, come sit with us.
Take just five minutes today to feel it for yourself.
Final Thought
Passion pushed me.
Flow carries me.
And that makes all the difference.
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