Be like water
We are naturally control-freaks. We tend to want to be in control over everything. All the time.
That is why we make plans. We list down actions to be taken and anticipate possible problems. We draw out scenarios in our heads.
But no matter how ‘perfect’ our plans are, things are bound to happen. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Only one thing is certain, no plans are future-proof.
And when the tides are against us, what happens? What do we do?
We force our control upon things. We deny the fact that sometimes things are out of our hands. Sometimes our plans just do not work. We hate to relinquish control.
In cases where things go wrong, our misplaced determination should not be the answer. We can be stubborn all we want. But that won’t lead us anywhere. Being rigid won’t solve anything. What we must learn is to react better.
“Be like water”, Bruce Lee said.
We must learn to be flexible, to adjust, and adapt. Flow freely in the container we are in.
We can never have control over everything that life throws at us. But we can always focus on how we respond to those things.
Life is short for us to waste our precious time and energy on things that are out of our control. We can just focus and react instead.