The Way of Water

“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.”

- Bruce Lee 

This single quote encapsulates everything I have been trying to discuss. Everything I am talking about involves letting go of any past experiences that can influence your decisions today, right now, and doing whatever your soul tells you to do in the moment. I understand how fluffy that sounds, so let me explain how I applied it to my life.

Going with the Flow

Have you seen Baby Driver? If you haven’t, check it out - but there’s a scene in the beginning where Baby is making a coffee run, and he’s basically dance-walking down the street. That is flow state depicted perfectly for a walk to get coffee, except he seems to bump into a few more people than I would prefer to.

Making the best of circumstances rears its ugly head again. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday, it doesn’t matter that you’re barely scraping by financially - pick your head up, keep it up, and make the most of your day. Pop your headphones in and cruise your way down the street like you’re in the opening scene of your own movie.

Athletes and musicians are familiar with flow state even if they don’t know what it’s called. We’ve all been shooting hoops alone, and once you get a little bit warm and loose we all turn into prime MJ. I swear there were days I just could not miss from anywhere.

Same for musicians, you feel the music take over your body, your hands start to move without thinking, and some of the most amazing singing, dance, and instrumental performances we’ve seen are a result of “putting your soul into it.” (See the movie Soul for reference, or some old American Idol auditions)

Empty Your Mind, Be Formless

This is the difficult part. I am in my thirties, so I had an assortment of bad habits, beliefs, stereotypes, and general views of the world and others that were crippling my ability to accept life as it comes. It was hard to see just how much my mind was getting in my way of doing remotely anything at all.

I couldn’t go here because of this reason, I couldn’t work there for that reason, I can’t buy this or that even though I need to because I’m worried about this or that happening………exhausting. My mind was always 10 steps ahead and replaying my last 100 steps to make sure I didn’t mess up, so it was very easy to forget about enjoying today. Right now.

Trust yourself, because only you know what’s best for you. I didn’t trust myself at all, until I saw that I was capable of making good choices. I was capable of thinking before I speak, I was capable of apologizing and acknowledging when I’m wrong. I can get my body back and play sports again, I just needed to be patient with myself.

I didn’t need alcohol to get through life - and neither do you. I have been through so much in the past year and it is emotionally overwhelming sometimes when I realize I haven’t even thought about drinking or alcohol for any reason outside of general reflection in months, years soon. My mind, body, and soul are locked in on doing the next right thing to the best of my ability.

Progress not perfection. Go with the flow, don’t force anything. That isn’t your job.

Be like water, and remember - water can flow, or it can crash.