Go With The Flow
Go with the flow means do not deviate or change direction from those around you. There are times that this makes things easier, times when it is necessary and times when it absolutely sabotages goals. It makes things easier in some low impact social situations and mundane tasks. It destroys chances of reaching greater heights than the current path.
Nothing goes with the flow like water. A river does not change its flow at a whim. Rivers are made up of many molecules of water. The characteristics of the molecule combine to make the characteristics of the body. These characteristics are influenced by the size of the body, location, temperature, geographic traits as well as any outside influence. These factors influence what type of body of water it is and the flow of the water. The water then influences its environment as the environment influences the water.
Raindrops are directed by gravity, the spin of the earth and wind. A river flows as one mass moving around obstacles toward its destination taking pieces of the land with it. Waterfalls cascade down, separating and rejoining, eroding the features that obstruct. These different flows lead to lakes, oceans and seas. Puddles and ponds are static bodies that can dry up. A drop can end up in any of these bodies.
Water is inanimate and cannot change its circumstance; water finds itself at the whims of the world. People flow like water, letting circumstance and surroundings dictate behavior. Unlike water people are self-actualizing. People can choose to go with the flow, branch out, join another flow and even create a separate path. Water needs an external force to make these changes. People can, and must, be their own external force.
A river cannot change its course. People can. People will not change course without sufficient cause. People need to recognize that the course they are on does not lead to the destination that they desire. No course is permanent, choosing a new one now does not imprison to new constraints. If a path does not serve a person’s goals, they can choose another new path.
Every detail of our life can impact our direction. The small decisions add up to be our pathway. Actions become habits become identities. Each action, each distribution of time and money shows our true values. If these do not align, adjusting distributions of resources to align with values are small adjustments that change the path toward the desired destination.
Changing this path is the only way to change the destination. Things in life may hinder, these obstacles can be overcome. Making decisions in-line with values and goals indicates that the path leads to the desired destination. People can be their own external force to change this path if it does not. A review of actions to ensure alignment with values is a good indication of whether a path leads to our desired destination or not.