“Be the water, not the rock. Water has the flexibility to change direction; a rock stays in one place and gets worn out.” - Japanese saying
The home I am currently living in has a small creek running at the edge of my yard – after a good rain or at night, when diurnal sounds begin to wane, I can open my windows and feel as if I am living near a water fall.
Aside from the delightful, relaxing sound and the explosion of life water always seems to have near, the stream has provided the opportunity for me to sit and observe; to watch and learn; to understand how nature correlates to daily life.
Yesterday afternoon I went out back to pick a few tomatoes for dinner, and since it was still quite early I went to sit on the bench by the water. Because it hasn’t rained much the past couple of days, the flow wasn’t impressive but it was nevertheless constant. None of the rocks resting at the bottom had been disturbed by the gentle trickle and remained still at the bottom of the bed. The water continued to move around them, never considering their presence an obstacle on the path.
We might feel we have more control if we rigidly stick to our guns and don’t accept change, but true strength walks hand in hand with flexibility.
We are taught since early age that stability is the key to living a life of purpose, but it can often become synonymous of stagnation. Being flexible, and working our way gently around obstacles, allows us to go further and achieve success using the least amount of effort.
Only a powerful flow during a storm would be strong enough to move the rocks out of the way, but fluidity and gentleness allow even the weakest trickle to move along without having to fight its way through.
Solidity and rigidity are not always the answers to the problem, but are often the path to resisting a solution.
Letting go of preconceived ideas gives us the opportunity to tackle a challenge with a fluid mind, and be able to shapeshift in any possible form which will make our passage a smooth and successful one. As Einstein once said, “Nothing will happen, until something moves.”
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