One of the greatest philosophers is one that we may not readily think of, Lee Jun-fan (Lee, the little dragon), or as we know him in America, Bruce Lee. Though he never formally finished at The University of Washington, in addition to studying drama, he also pursued philosophy.
One of his many, many quotes is shown here:
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
This is partially taken from Lao Tzu, “Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.”
Water is extremely strong. Water can cut through rock and metal. It is resilient. If you spill water, it will fill every crack and crevice, exploring where it chooses. Water is unafraid to blaze a new path.
Are there dreams that you have that have gone unfulfilled? What is stopping you? Have you thought of making a change but been waiting for the “right time?” Water does not wait. IF you continue waiting, that time may not come. Be like water, my friend.
Are you in a new, uncomfortable, unfamiliar scenario? Adapt, pursue people’s respect above their approval. If you are like water, find new ways to make things work. Innovate, create, blaze a path.
You can make a change and maneuver through problems. Let nothing stand in your way. The Grand Canyon in Arizona was once a babbling brook; now over time through perseverance, it has carved its way through rock and stone. Is there some sort of mountain in your way, an unconquerable obstacle? Rather than go over it, go through it. Stop looking to go over it, find a way to go through it, instead of barreling straight ahead.
So, why should we be like water? We should be flexible in both our minds and our bodies, opening our minds to possibilities and allowing ourselves to change. Adapting, and “going with the flow”, being formless is key. So, too, is remembering our strength, just like water, with time and perseverance we can cut through any obstacle.
When you drop a pebble into a pool of water, the pebble starts a series of ripples that expand until they encompass the whole pool. This is exactly what will happen when I give my ideas a definite plan of action. Right now I can project my thoughts into the future. I can see ahead of me. I dream (remember that practical dreamers never quit)…. I am not easily discouraged, readily visualize myself as overcoming obstacles, winning out over setbacks, achieving “impossible” objectives.
