THE WAY OF THE WATER — A Path To Natural Evolution
Updated: 11 hours ago
Our planet is changing and evolving at a faster rate than ever before. With the rapid expansion we are experiencing collectively, the need for flexibility has become a requisite for success in adapting ourselves to the world around us. The truth is that flexibility is a skill — a capability that allows for greater movement and adaptation in a complex and ever-changing universe. It requires patience, an attitude of surrender, and tactfulness in working with the natural cycles of life.
This year for me has been all about building a foundation of strength and confidence through authentic surrender and acceptance of the present moment. In doing so, I have realised that one important truth, which is that our potential for growth and adaptability always correlates with our degree of awareness and acceptance of the present moment. The more we are aware and at peace with who and where we are, the more we are given the intuitive wisdom necessary to leverage our self-awareness and use it as a catalyst for our expansion into the new. A surrendered response to this intuitive guidance (inspiration) is what truly determines our potential for change, adaptation and therefore, evolution.
A key element that has helped me connect with the underlying intelligence behind this attitude of surrender has been the study of water, its qualities and its ways. I have spent some time learning about what I now call 'the way of the water'.
So, let's dive right in ;)
Understanding the way of the water through the Toist concept of ‘Wu Wei’
The way of the water isn't a particularly new concept whatsoever. In Taoist philosophy, the teachings of Wu Wei talk a great deal about the virtuous qualities of water. Wu Wei essentially speaks to the idea of non-doing and effortless action, but can also be translated as actionless action. It is the art of aligning with the flow and natural course of things by following the ‘Tao’— The Natural Way. The Tao is said to be the principle underlying the natural order of all things in the universe.
The Way never acts, yet nothing is left undone — it does nothing, yet nothing remains unaccomplished!
— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
At the core of Wu Wei lies the celebration of spontaneity. According to LaoTzu, following the 'Tao' (the natural way) is about striving to make our behaviour as spontaneous and inevitable as certain natural processes. This is a skill that can only be achieved through a state of 'being' rather than 'doing'. Water does not seek to act or do anything in particular but by simply 'being' water, it flows wherever it is needed and never fails to serve its purpose in nourishing everything that comes along its path. By embracing spontaneity, we unlock our creative potential and thus, the ability to navigate the forces of change with flow, ease and free of resistance.
The river flows along with the changes in circumstances, adapting to different landscapes and finding its way past obstructions effortlessly"
— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Practicing Wu Wei is about taping into our creative power by integrating the qualities (virtues) of water within our very being. As we learn to flow like water, we develop an acute ability to show strength and resilience in times of disruption by harmonizing with the natural cycles of life instead of resisting them. It is a wisdom that resides in one’s ability to merge with the present moment for the purpose of 'becoming' — becoming something new, something greater than what we knew ourselves to be.
The power of softness (non-forcing)
The teachings of Wu Wei are also prevalent for highlighting the underlying strength that is found in the soft and flexible. Rather than finding comfort in our rigidities, Wu Wei asks us to recognise the importance of applying a degree of flexibility in the way we think, move and approach the world. It suggests that we evaluate aspects of ourselves that may have become too rigid and stuck in controlling patterns (forcing habits), and have the courage to consider that a softer approach could perhaps bring us a greater sense of fulfilment.
"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding but will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong"
— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
The idea of non-forcing is meant to help us find comfort in our softness (our natural flow), so that we are free to let ourselves be guided by the intelligence of our inner-being, through which our desires and aspirations are effortlessly realised. Instead of meticulously planning our every move, Wu Wei encourages us to put more trust in our intuition as a guiding force. Forming a deeper connection with our intuition allows for innovative solutions to emerge naturally as we become free of preconceived notions or rigid structures.
Authentic surrender is the path to natural evolution— it starts WITHIN
Authentic surrender is the path to natural evolution and it is an attitude that starts from within. This journey to greater flexibility and flow is designed to help us release our internal resistance to 'what is' as we reconnect with the presence inside of us. The more I connect with my inner-being (the present moment within myself), the more I'm able to recognise the natural process of evolution (change and adaptation) that is constantly occurring in me. To appropriately support this constant and inevitable expansion, I've realised that my only work is to remain fully aware and accepting of my present circumstances. As I do so mindfully, I gradually free my stuck energies from past rigidities (resistance) while providing enough room for these energies to flow, run their course, and naturally thrust me into the new.
The true purpose of the surrender journey is the inner self-empowerment. Authentic surrender intuitively inspires us towards the solution we are seeking by illuminating certain truths from within, which somehow have the particularity of rendering us free from all illusions of dependency on the external world for the realisation of our desires. We are empowered by the understanding that our external world is, in fact, a mere reflection of the quality of our inner world. And so, the changes we are guided to make internally are truly the ones that matter, as they fundamentally shape our outer experience.
As your inner focus develops, so will your ability to listen to the intelligence of the universe (the Tao). The more you listen and remain receptive to this intelligence, the path to everything you desire will naturally unfold and reveal itself. When your internal resistance dissipates in total surrender, you become one with life as life becomes one with your consciousness. It is in this state of constant union that you essentially reach your flow state!
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