H2O

I was looking through Ted Talks (btw it's the best platform to learn/motivate yourself) and I came across this video: https://www.ted.com/talks/raymond_tang_be_humble_and_other_lessons_from_the_philosophy_of_water#t-515352

I'm suddenly struck with familiarity of the situation he was mentioning. A sense of something missing. The poem that speaks a lot is this:

'The supreme goodness is like water.

It benefits all things without contention.

In dwelling, it stays grounded.
In being, it flows to depths.
In expression, it is honest.
In confrontation, it stays gentle.
In governance, it does not control. 
In action, it aligns to timing.

It is content with its nature, 
and therefore cannot be faulted.'

~ Tao Te Ching; passage #8

Like he mentioned, the water philosophy has 3 lessons that we can take away: Humility, Harmony, Openness

Humility: Water flows in a river. It always stay low. It helps plants and living creatures stay alive, and does not draw attention to itself, nor does it need any reward or recognition. Water is humble. But without it, there would be no life.

1. Instead of acting like we know everything/have the answers to all, it is okay to say "I don't know. I want to learn more, and I need your help."
2. Instead of promoting our glory and success, it is much more satisfying to promote the glory and success of others.
3. Instead of doing things where we can get ahead, it is much more fulfilling and meaningful to help others overcome their challenges so they can succeed.

This allows us to become more genuinely interested in the stories and experiences of people around us that make them unique and magical.

Harmony: When water flows towards a rock, it will flow around it. It doesn't get upset, it doesn't get angry. It doesn't get agitated. When faced with an obstacle, somehow water finds a solution without force, without conflict.

1. Shift your focus from trying to achieve more success to trying to achieve more harmony, you will feel calmed and focused. 
2. Ask these questions: will this action bring me greater harmony and bring more harmony to my environment? Does this align with my nature?

You become more comfortable with who you are, rather than who you are supposed/ expected to be. You will stop focusing on things that cannot be controlled and only on the things you can. You stop fighting with yourself, and you learn to work with the environment to solve its problems. 

Nature does not hurry. Yet, everything is accomplished. 

Openness: Depending on the temperature, it can be solid, liquid or gas. Depending on the medium it is in, it can be a teapot, a cup or a flower vase. It is water's ability to adapt and change and remain flexible, that made it so enduring through the ages, despite all the changes in the environment. 

1. We live in a world of constant change. We are expected to constantly reinvent and refresh our skills to stay relevant. We need to be open to learn, open to unlearn and open to helping others navigate through the changing circumstances. 

Life is calling each and every one of us to step up, to open up and cause a ripple effect. We can stay behind close doors and continue to be paralyzed by our self-limiting beliefs or we can just open up and enjoy the ride. 

I basically typed out everything he mentioned, but boy, this is so meaningful. Let's try to see if we can apply this :)