Thursday Spirit - Flow Like Water

Ever had one of those "nothing's going the way it is supposed to!" day? Spilling coffee on your white blouse right at the beginning of the day, your computer crashes just before lunch, you get caught in the biggest traffic jam ever on your way back home only to find out your dog has eaten your favorite pair of shoes just as you're about to go to bed...

"Is this Karma?" are you thinking as you to try fall asleep, because, of course, you can't.

A Zen teacher would smile and tell you they are very small problems on the path of your destiny, then tell you to be like water.

"It is supple, flexible, and humble; it does not compete" ~Taoism

Your attitude will determine how you feel, react and go about the rest of your days on those not so great ones. One of the best way to keep a positive attitude is to keep the bigger picture in mind and let creativity come in. 

Spilling coffee on your blouse is not fun, but it is only a very small inconvenient when you think about it. You just have to change and there are far worst things in life. Beside, you have no control over that trafic jam or computer crash. Why waste energy keeping the negative feelings on more than you should? Find a way to adapt, do what you can to resolve the problem, take a deep breath and let it go. Be like water.

Adapt like water: Be like water; water has form and yet it has no form. It is the softest element on earth, yet it penetrates the hardest rock. It has no shape of its own, yet it can take any shape in which it is placed. In a cup, it becomes the shape of the cup. In a vase, it takes the shape of the vase and curls about the stems of flowers. Put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Please observe the adaptability of water. If you squeeze it fast, the water will flow out quickly. If you squeeze it slowly, it will come out slowly. Water may seem to move in contradiction, even uphill, but it chooses any way open to it so that it may reach the sea. It may flow swiftly or it may flow slowly, but its purpose is inexorable, its destiny sure. ~Bruce Lee

Always have a clear goal, a bigger picture in mind. When you face a problem, it gives you the strength you need to do whatever it takes to reach it. A clear goal gives you the motivation to press on no matter what challenges you face. Althought you loved those shoes, your life isn't about them.

Have a peaceful day,


Patricia
http://www.etsy.com/shop/patriciawoodjewelry


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