During the pandemic, we all saw how Mother Nature can be very harsh and ruthless but at the same time she can be very caring and patient and teach us life lessons in a loving way if we just watch her and listen to her with our hearts. Mother Nature is Life's best teacher and has a funny way to teach one of us lessons. Be it early morning walks, sitting quietly in a park, watching the sun set or waves washing up continuously on a beach, stillness of a lake or the rain pouring down on us, we can learn so much to manage our day to day lives.
As monsoon sets in, Mother Nature showers us with her blessings - literally. Life giving water pours from the skies. The sweet smell of wet soil, the leaves and flowers - bright and colourful with the dust on them washed away is a sight to behold! All this set me thinking. Water and its immense importance in our lives. What can this one element teach us - in all its forms. The waves in the ocean, the placid ponds, the flowing stream through a dense forest, a pot filled with clear water. Stillness and Dynamism are both exuded in all its glory and this dynamic nature of Water is what I was overwhelmed by.
Imagine the elegance of a River. It moves with Nature's pulse - originates small in streamlets formed by dripping of melting ice in the highest reaches of mountains. It follows its intrinsic nature of flowing down slopes totally aligned to the environment in which it is and with its single-minded aim to join the ocean very far away. Initially slow but gathering speed on its way. It does not strain or force its way. It just goes with the flow. At times it finds a crevice, vast and deep. Does it jump over it? No, is just flows its own nature by filling the space up. It does not see stagnation and non-movement as an impediment to its progress. It revels in the temporary stillness till it reaches the top of the space that it has entered and then starts to flow again.
It takes the path of least resistance and does not challenge anything head-on and especially it does not seem to be in any rush to beat down any obstacle it faces. At the same time nothing can stop it - it either flows over, under or around anything that comes in its path. Graceful but relentless and unceasing, soft yet unyielding, it just bides its time and starts dissolving the hardest and even the most inflexible of obstacles. With resilience, it starts carving valleys and shapes mountains. Over time and with utmost patience, it starts molding the very landscape around it.
Its inherent faith in itself does not even halt it when the very earth on which it is flowing on seems to come to an end. It just leaps over with a certainty that the path which it has taken will lead it towards its destination. The waterfalls and cascades showcase this wonderful trait of a flowing river. As it enters the plains, it slows down. It knows that the route to its ultimate destination is neither straight nor the fastest. It gracefully meanders and adapts to its surroundings while pursuing its objective. Every boulder or landmass it sees as an opportunity to recalibrate itself, reassess its vision and find a new path. And through its journey, it touches the lives of every living being who care for it. Due to its flexible nature even while pursuing its objective, it does not forget to retain its essence. It takes the shape of any container it is filled in. Be it a dew drop or a tidal wave , nothing can take away its core value.
However, it is tough and rigid - the other side of resilience. It is ruthless and unforgiving - the other side of powerful and unyielding. It is destructive - when faced with an uncaring and stubborn force trying to impede its progress. Then it does not fetter its force or relent against anything which stops it from its obsessive flow to its goal. It then erodes the obstacles, uproots trees, washes away mountainsides and tunnels through rocks and finds its way.
It is not deterred by the size of the obstacles, it just changes course where required. There may unexpected twists and turns but its eyes are always on its final target. And through consistent and gentle action it eventually reaches where it needed to be - in the lap of the Ocean where it merges with its primary source itself.
What can I learn from the river - Having power does not mean being aggressive but assert one must. It is important to be in harmony with the environment around me and go with the flow. A relentless but flexible and patient pursuit of our goals is key. Being Still does not mean Doing Nothing. It is the time to think and revise our flow in a manner that we complete our chosen mission. And finally set an achievable but aspirational goal for oneself and never take your eyes of it.
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