The ideal state I want to be in is to be like water.

There is a song lyrics in Chinese that talks about water. 水能载舟,亦能煮粥.  Water can hold up a ship and it can be used to cook congee. It was then, when I realised how amazing water is. It has all the attributes of life.

• Adapt to situations.
• Be soft and penetrate through the hardest obstacle. (Don’t allow cynicism to make you hard.)
• Patience, for everything takes time.

Adapting

Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does. Be water.

Darwin said that the genes that survives is not the strongest in merit, but the one that adapts the most. Water does that. Water flows and water continues to go in its path. It adapts to the changing terrains, it adapts to the obstacles, it adapts to the changing climate. But water flows, and water adapts.

Softness

Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness. — Lao Tzu

I must admit that once a while, cynicism gets over me. I become hard, close my heart and stop believing again. Yet water shows that softness overcomes hardness. With softness, you can get to the outcome you want. It takes time, but remember to be soft, flexible and malleable. Everything is possible.

Patience

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.

It is in human’s nature to rush towards somewhere. Yet time is a construct created by man. Birds have no place to rush to. Fish have no destination to get to. Nature is in its own path to get to the place. Patience is such an important virtue in times of instant gratification. Most things in life take time. And we will definitely get there someday. Just focus on the now and we will get there.

Be like water. Water adapts, water is soft, water is in no hurry.

Love,
L