We all know that there are times when things are going great and times when everything seems to be falling apart. But what do we do when things aren’t going our way? How can we make the most of difficult situations? The answer is to go with the flow.
But what does that mean?
The ancient philosophy of Daoism revolves around the idea of finding harmony with the world around us. The best way to achieve this was to learn from nature. In particular, we can learn a lot from water.
Water is the element that flows around us, and it always finds a way to adapt to its surroundings. It is never forceful, but it is also never stagnant.
Just like water, we should learn to go with the flow. When things are going well, we should enjoy the moment and not try to force anything. And when things are tough, we can be adaptable and find ways to work around the obstacles.
Here are five tips to help you go with the flow.
Soft Always Overcomes the Hard
On the surface, water seems weak. It can be easily contained and doesn’t appear to have much strength. But as anyone who has been caught in a flood knows, water can be incredibly powerful. It is capable of breaking through even the strongest of barriers. The secret to water’s strength is its softness.
“Water is soft and weak, yet for attacking hard and strong, nothing can surpass it.” — Laozi
Unlike hard objects like rocks, water can flow around and over obstacles. This allows it to build a tremendous force, which it can use to its advantage. In the end, soft always triumphs over hard.
That is why so many martial arts rely on using an opponent’s momentum against them, and why the best defense is often a good offense.
By harnessing the power of softness, we can overcome any obstacle.
Daoism sees water as a metaphor for how we should live our lives. We should be soft and malleable to adapt to the ever-changing world around us. But at the same time, we should be relentless in the pursuit of our goals. We should never give up or give in.
