“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round 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.”

Awesome post, great series!

Best,
Kyle / OnYourBusiness

Kyle / OnYourBusiness’s last blog post..The Cost of Poor Service

My water analogy is one I’ve had for a long time. Being a partial water sign (Saggitarius with Cancer rising and a Libra moon) I’ve often found myself adapting to fit my surroundings. My roommate calls me a chameleon. It’s not so much changing who you are in various situations, but rather, retaining the essence of who you are and fitting in with your surroundings. Very handy.

And you’re right, that is a blog post in the making, the ideas are churning as we speak…

Your words and your actions need to be spontaneous.

I’m sure you learned this in Karate. Just do, don’t think. In Kung-Fu we called it muscle memory – I’m sure you’ve probably heard of it. It takes practice. But the more you practice what you do, the more it’ll become second nature and you won’t even have to think about it. That was a great note.

Water takes on the shape of a container without losing its essence.

I think that’s a great analogy to use when comparing the way water adapts to its environment and how entrepreneurs, content writers, etc. must adapt to their situation. As content writers, you guys have to adapt your writing style and thought process to who you’re writing to (kids, a church, marketers, etc.).

I think that could be a blog post all on its own – how you must adapt to your situation and the people around you.

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@ Anthony – I agree. Some people like pushing through pain – because it is painful. They thrive on it, be it physical, mental or emotional. They create situations that case more pain and dig themselves deeper, because it fills a void they cannot competently fill on their own with something healthier. I do not push through pain at any time. I find the easiest route that I can live with to achieve what I must, and that is the path I take. I do not seek the more painful route that achieves the same goal.

@ Nez – And that is water, my friend. The new stream wanders and overflows the land many times before digging its bed deeper into a more established pattern. It wears against rocks, its winding bends straighten, and by water continually flowing over the best path, so is the deep river made.