Inspiration from Dr. Wayne Dyer: Be Like Water
October 11, 2009
*
“Water does not seek the high spots to be above it all, but settles for the lowest places.
It gathers into rivers, lakes, and streams; courses to the sea; and then evaporates to fall again as rain.
It maps out nothing and it plays no favorites: it doesn’t intend to provide sustenance to the animals and plants. It has no plans to irrigate the fields; to slake our thirst, or to provide the opportunity to swim.
These are the benefits that come NATURALLY from water simply doing what it does, and BEING what it is.”
*
What about You?
Are you allowing yourself to be who you are, and do what you do… naturally?
No related posts.
Posted in inspirational quotes
content rss
In some areas, yes, I allow myself to be who I am naturally, in other areas, not so much. I’m a constant work in progress, becoming more and more “me” all the time, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. There’s a lot of pressure to conform, to fit in, to sacrifice yourself on the altar of other people’s expectations, and it’s not always easy to avoid that pressure. I’m getting better at it, though. Just takes a while to untangle all the knots and undo all of the programming.
.-= Jay Schryer´s last blog ..These Dreams =-.
Lisis,
Well…I can relate very much to what Jay is saying (by the way, Jay – or should I say Mr. Earlybird – isn’t it still dark where you are???). In some aspects, this is easy, and in others, not so much. I do think I’m going down a path that is taking me more toward doing what comes naturally. And then…well, sometimes I veer off that path, onto a path that “feels” safer – because it’s the path is what’s expected of me. Is that the safer path, tough, really – a path that is what’s expected, but not what my heart speaks? It’s not, and yet it can still be hard to not go down this path of expectation. Hmmm…. It’s definitely a journey, and one that continues as I allow my heart to speak more truly…
.-= Lance´s last blog ..Sunday Thought For The Day =-.
Happy Birthday, Lisis!!! We love you!!
I am the damn, dikes and irrigation that controls the power of water that wants to over run my life.
.-= Gordie Rogers´s last blog ..Saturday Spew And Shout Out: October 10th 2009. =-.
@ Jay: Good morning, earliest bird! There is a LOT of pressure to conform, and to meet expectations, and to please everyone, and to come up with something super cool that we can brag about. I know when I was in college, almost all of my ambitions were things that would earn me bragging rights. Now, not so much. Now I’m trying to let go and, instead of using my free will to shape my future, I’m using it to choose to go where life takes me… where life needs me. Every day I am pleasantly surprised.
@ Lance: I’m disappointed, my friend… you let Jay beat you to it this morning! I definitely don’t think it’s easy one bit to let go of the illusion of control and try to be OK with just going with the flow. It’s a little like going on the scariest ride at the amusement park… you KNOW it will turn out OK but you still somehow feel like if you trust it, something awful will happen. It’s just not “safe” enough. I guess I’m trying to rationalize less and just KNOW more… just BE what I was meant to be.
@ Jeff: THANKS!!! This is the 15th time I’ve turned 21, and it just gets easier every time.
I’m so excited we’re going to the Giant Pumpkin Regatta for my birthday!! For anyone who hasn’t heard of this Vermonty craziness:
http://www.vermont.org/pumpkin/
@ Gordie: LOL! Good luck with that whole “controlling water thing”… it works, as long as water is willing to play along. Every once in a while, though, water will overflow its banks, break its dams, and pour over its levees just as a reminder that it will always have its way in the end.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by BonnieRN and Oscar Del Ben. Oscar Del Ben said: RT @Serene_Balance: Inspiration from Wayne Dyer: Be Like Water http://bit.ly/2kMdwu [...]
I think that as I’ve grown in years, I’ve also grown in becoming comfortable with being who I really am rather than who others expect me to be. With the process, comes greater relief from stress and more joy in life’s everyday pleasures.
@ Karen: I believe that is the key to this… we have to know who we are (who WE want to be) and be comfortable in that skin, no matter what others think of it. It seems there is always someone who will be disappointed, no matter what we choose; so we might as well choose what warms our heart. I’ll tell you what… “relief from stress” and “more joy in everyday pleasures” sounds like absolute heaven for most of us. What more could we ask of life?
The whole time I was leaving that comment…I was doing the happy dance because I knew that I was finally (finally!) going to beat Lance, and have first comment bragging rights! Insomnia rocks!
Oh, and Happy Birthday!!!! Wow. 21 again, huh? You’re even younger than my grandmother, who had been 29 for 36 years when she passed away.
.-= Jay Schryer´s last blog ..These Dreams =-.
I love it are getting the message of Water, and are responding to it.
Thank you for posting it – and amazingly, it was the first post that I saw today –
as I am contemplating a Love and Gratitude Prayer to Water.
Let us join – today at 1 p.m. EST.. If it’s resonates with you, the details are on my blog. You can also find an incredible full length documentary there:
Water: The Great Mystery (all 8 parts are on my blog)
There is so much Water can teach us.
With Love and Gratitude,
Larisa
.-= Larisa´s last blog ..Group Prayer – Love & Gratitude to the Water =-.
I noticed this quote right when I saw it. I remember hearing this and for some reason it was the one quote that had the most impact on me when I heard it. And now considering i’m spend the bulk of my time in the ocean, this make so much sense and inspires me so much. This advice will bring tremendous peace to anybody’s life.
.-= Srinivas Rao´s last blog ..Guest Post: When Life Hands You Lemons, Start Building a Multi-Million Dollar Lemonade Company =-.
Wow, Larisa! What amazing synchronicity!! As it turns out, I will be at Lake Champlain at 1pm Eastern!!! I will absolutely join you in your Love and Gratitude Prayer to Water today. This is such a neat, and unlikely, birthday gift.
Thank you!!
Hi Lisis.
I could do a thing or two to learn from water. It has me beat in some respects, as it flows smoothly from one high point to the trough, and to the next, and I jump from item to item in a jarring fashion. Once in a while, I implement that “mind like water” method and it sure does work well, but it doesn’t come naturally to me as of yet.
I think I am improving in being like water, though. Thanks for this message.
Happy day of birthday day to you on this day~
.-= Armen Shirvanian´s last blog ..Outdoor Mountain Hiking Trail Adventure – Realistic Optimism =-.
Hi Lisis,
Happy birthday! Enjoy your day!
You know how I love water, so you know how much I love this post!
Beautiful image, too.
Thank you, Lisis!!!
.-= Lori´s last blog ..Loving Lisis Blackston Day =-.
Hi Lisis,
Happy Birthday!
Great quote from Dyer. Thank you for sharing it. It reminds me of the water quote from Bruce Lee. As for me, I have always been a nonconformist naturally and not out of choice. For years, I tried to conform and it just never worked.
So finally after many years of trying to conform, I just accepted the fact that I will always do things differently and I have made my peace with that. That said, there are days where I wish I was “more normal” but then I see how miserable normal people are and then I am grateful to be the way that I am.
.-= Nadia – Happy Lotus´s last blog ..Are You An Angry Talk Show Or A Romantic Comedy? =-.
This is easier said than done; however, it is definitely worth striving for. Also, for our own personal development, if we are truly ourselves, we can truly learn from our mistakes rather than playing a role that we think “fits”.
Hi Lisis
Happy ? birthday and what is in a number as we live infinitely on anyway. For all I know we are all over 2000 years old.
It is obvioulsy that water has no mind, because what mind would let us go where the heart would like to wonder naturally.
I have recently read the story of Helen Keller and how her disadvantage has become an advantage. By getting as little information about how things look and should be, she kept her natural ways. Her luck was also that her teacher followed her interests rather than let Helen follow a stupid disconnected curriculum.
I am blown away how conditioning is keeping us enslaved in doing things a certain way that goes against the grain and how invisible some of it is even when you think you are conscious.
And I am blown away how shaking off that conditioning is taking so much time and effort. And we all need loving people around us who will encourage us to do things naturally and who encourage us to seek lower grounds when everybody else is going to the top.
So it is great to gatther like minded people who encourage each other to do things differently, to do them naturally on the day of your birthday and any other days as well.
Have a fantastic pumpkin thing, love Wilma
.-= wilma ham´s last blog ..What happens when instead of an old fashioned partner I become a sponsor. =-.
Happy birthday! Enjoy the pumpkin regatta and your special day. Wish we were there to celebrate in person! xoxo
.-= Alison | Quest for Balance´s last blog ..Inspiration from Dr. Wayne Dyer: Be Like Water =-.
Happy Birthday! Happy New Year!
I am wondering if it is a lot easier for water to be water, because it has not “intention”, while (wo)man has “intention”. Water has no feelings, (wo)man has feelings. Water has no ego, (wo)man has ego. Water has no goals, no hunger, no dreams… (wo)man has all that. May be that’s what (wo)man has to let go of? I don’t know. I may have to think about it some more, and hopefully, the light will come on!
.-= Steve´s last blog ..CPA exam and Accounting Jokes, Funny Stories, etc =-.
hi, Lisisi,
Happy Birthday! Share your happiness of 21 birthday. Actually, now, I feel down , not very well. so , come to your post and try to get over a little. My job has some problem and goes out of my plan. I think I can’t be water to flow along naturally. I have minds, desires and wishes, so many times, I hope things with my efforts go into my expectation and plan. But variables sometimes come about. This is unavoidable. The only thing I have to do is to accept, but not to my heart. My heart speaks no. All the time, I would like to be who I am. now still, so I can change and creat along with my heart, though I have to accept.
TKS for your post, Have a good day!
Hi Lisis:
As someone who has veered off my path frequently, I really dig this post. I’m working toward doing what comes naturally to me (e.g. more writing and work that I’m passionate about) — but the key word is working at it.
.-= Tim´s last blog ..Weekend Video Diversion: Improv Everywhere =-.
I love water, if you couldn’t tell already!
This is a great passage.
Plus, we’re somthing like 80% water anyway, so why not be more like it!
.-= Miche´s last blog ..How to Get From Boredom to Intuition =-.
This is gorgeous.
P.S. Happy birthday!
.-= Hayden Tompkins´s last blog ..How to Sabotage Your Income =-.