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Saturday, 19 April 2014

Along the rapids in the river of life.

The river is a continuous representation of life, which provides knowledge to us without words. A river always starts with a trickle of air and water, born of the earth. They start slowly and quietly, learning to crawl along a zigzag way before they take off down a hill or path which eventually builds up into a roaring noisy one pouring down.  We too start out in life slowly; learning to crawl before we walk and talk, then run and yell. The river then goes on its path, slows down and moves in a leisurely way yet again, and at some point of time becomes stagnant. Life too, hits peaks and valleys along the journey, most of the time getting by, doing next to nothing.

Human life is compared to a flowing river that is a unique phenomenon of nature, where water is always being added to the existing water. Our life too has a lot of twists and turns. The journey  of life is like the flow of a river, focussing on the journey whether it is our inner awareness, transformation or recovery of life, when there could be much more going on beneath the surface.  The signs on the surface could be the symptoms of much more seriously underlying problems of life, which is crucial for the survival.  We end up resisting the painful currents and missing the chance to learn and grow.


As Emma Smith quoted, “Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere,” human life is so much like a river. Sometimes it goes on smoothly as if there were no challenges in life, but at times we see challenges coming all of a sudden from nowhere, taking us by surprise which tends to shake our very foundation and equilibrium of life. We humans, unlike the river, are not able to face the rapids that life brings us. The river does not step back from the obstacles that come on its path. They face it and reach the destination. Be like the river, always moving forward in pride and honor, setting its own path to the sea.  Our life is a continuous flow of experiences and lessons learnt, like the life of a river is expressed in its flow, which is powerful beyond our comprehension. Even when the river runs into obstacles, it finds its own way past all resistance. Our life too, in comparison to a river has a constant flow of changes, from the calm and steady currents, through the speeding rapids and waterfalls.


Whatever may be the river of our life, it is important to be fully present in the flow of the situation. When we are in the rapids, it is no use swimming against the current because the river of life will definitely take us there. The rocks that find way into our life make us stronger. The river keeps flowing in spite of the rocks on its path, splashing on the rocks, finding way around it and finally wearing them down. The most important fact we learn from the rapids of life and the river, is that the river knows no time, as it has only the ‘now’ of life. While navigating through the rapids, yesterday and tomorrow has no value. Either way, life goes on because the river of life does not end there. 


The undercurrent is the driving force of the river. It is a unique living thing with a soul and personality, that effect and influences us deeply. We too have a hidden force that drives us forward in life. The spirit that is strong and vibrant, sometimes beautiful and unknown too.  The rapids of life erupt from the obstacles beneath the surface.  To stay afloat at times, may seem to be a grueling task, but we struggle to adapt to the rapids and understand that the turbulence are a part of our life’s flow. A river sometimes flows over a winding path of rock cliffs, suddenly dropping into a waterfall. They are strong and powerful; but one of the most beautiful phenomenon of nature. The waterfalls of life, interferes our normal flow with such great force that it throws us out of gear into an emotional fall. It seems like a curtain, from a distance, with each drop going through a difficult experience to come down, on its way to its destination. Our life too is like that. The feelings are intense, powerful and unpredictable, making us fear that we may lose control of our life. But if we are willing to ride the fall, we can enjoy the feeling that awaits us, in the gentle swirling pool at the bottom.


Our life begins like a drop of rain that becomes a stream and then finally a river that flows into the ocean. We too are like them. We have to face obstacles and challenges. At times the river is in spate causing massive floods. So is our life, facing the raging rapids that sometimes leaves indelible prints. Life is at times gentle and peaceful like the stream. It keeps flowing till it ends in the sea. The river is never at the same point; it keeps flowing on its journey, though it rarely backtracks. And those times that it does, it becomes stagnant. It does change its course when faced with obstacles, but it still flows to its destination as the river is patient and persistent.


Sometimes the stream of life may be stronger. It is no use resisting and going against the current of life. When we experience the currents of life’s river, keep moving forward and the flow will bring us along in its journey.  Let the positive currents pull us forward, towards the path of life. Like the rivers, let us crisscross the landscapes of life and find the best path to navigate and reach the destination through life’s rapids.


Life is a river which flows irrespective of what it has to encounter. We cannot change or stop all that happens to us. But we can change the viewing lens of our attitude and keep learning something new. The best and most fruitful way connecting to life is by spending time with nature.  Allow nature to weave its magic on your body, mind and soul.  Life is beautiful and magical like a river. There is beauty in the rapids too, if only one has the patience to look at it. The destination is set but it is our journeying that counts and it is up to us. We can cruise down the river of life with patience or speed up and crash over the rapids or keep spinning around the whirlpools. Everything depends on how we navigate through the thousands of small choices that we make every day.




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