Did you ever notice how water flows during a rainstorm? It rushes down a hill with force, and if it runs into an object, it either goes around or on top of it. It’s fascinating to watch. Water does its own thing and will go where it wants to go.

We have an old stone foundation that floods the basement when it rains hard. Thankfully, it’s only used for storage; everything is in plastic boxes or shelves. But the water seeps into the ground and makes its way into the basement without any problem. It flows where gravity takes it.

Suppose we take a page from water and learn to live in more of a state of flow than resistance. Then, when we come up against a problem or dilemma that feels impossible, instead of fighting the issue, we need to figure out a way to go around it instead. So, for example, I’m applying for jobs online. It’s tough nowadays to get a human to see resumes because most companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) where AI, a robot, scans the resumes and cover letters for keywords. If it doesn’t see them, the applications are deleted. I used to feel defeated when I heard nothing back from potential employers, not even a “thank you for applying” response. I learned about the ATS and found a way to get my application through by doing all the right things (using keywords from the job ad, using standard fonts, no weird formatting, with no spelling errors.) I think I’ve gotten the knowledge to beat the machine. I learned how to flow around the problem instead of splashing against it.

Water is graceful, even when it’s raging down a waterfall. Its power is constant, and it’ll go over anything in its path to find another body of water. If we lived our lives like rushing water, we could see problems and get past them with strength and determination, just like water rushing over boulders and obstacles.

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When you see water in a stream heading toward a drop-off, and it falls off the edge, the water keeps moving in a constant state of movement. If we feel fear and can’t seem to bring ourselves to go towards the edge of whatever it is that scares us, the best thing to do is take the plunge and let go. Trust that we can face anything and will get through it. An excellent way to think about those moments of fear is when you look back at your life. Can you think about another moment when you were afraid and did it anyway, and everything turned out okay? Most likely, you not only survived but thrived. Keep that in mind the next time life challenges you.

Flowing water can also teach us that nothing is permanent. Life is constantly in flux, moving, changing, and becoming. If we let go of our tight grip on wanting things to be perfect and the exact way we want them to be, we feel less stressed. Go with the flow and let go – and see how it feels.

Look at the ocean, tides churning in and out, continually moving. That’s another life lesson where we should be moving and not keeping still. A pond shows us that still water grows algae and vegetation, and the water becomes murky and uninviting. Clear water allows us to see what’s beneath. Keep moving, and your thoughts will be clear and positive.

I recently listened to a YouTube video by Mel Robbins titled Just Let Them Be and See What Happens to Your Life.

She talked about her son going to the prom and how it was raining, and he and his friends wanted to go to a restaurant that Mel thought wasn’t big enough for all his friends. She wanted to take control of the situation instead of letting her son make the decisions. She realized that letting her son do what he wanted may have given him fond memories of his prom night. Her advice is to let people be and release our tight grip, needing to control every situation.

Like water flowing down a stream, we should let our lives flow from one moment to the next and focus on making each one a good experience.

I always like this proverb above. I interpret it as allowing others to think for themselves. Even though we want the best for the people we love and care about, they will make their own decisions regardless and do what they will. That might mean watching someone we love go down the wrong path. People have to experience their pain in order to change and make their lives better. We can’t make someone change. Be like water and flow, and let others flow, too. That’s the way we get to let go.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope this has given you some ideas to relax a bit more. I know I need to heed my advice and let go and flow like water. Let me know in a comment if you found this helpful.

To Flowing Like Water,

Francesca