Trees bend in the wind, flowers shrug off a late spring snow, the creek bends with the contours of the land. Nature adapts to a variety of circumstances, and the outcome is a perfectly harmonious blending of energies that grows stronger with time.
What is this aspect of nature that allows this flexibility? Resilience is the word that comes to mind for me. What is resilience? According to Psychology Today, resilience is ‘that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever’
I suspect that, as humans, it is a lack of resilience that may be keeping us stuck in unproductive patterns. How do we become more resilient? This is a matter of adapting our thoughts and actions to current situations. If you expect a certain outcome from a given circumstance that does not happen, how do you react? Do you adapt and go with the flow like a mountain stream around a fallen log? Or, do you get stuck in a story of resentment and victimhood?
Which approach is going to benefit you more in the long run? If you adapt and move on, as in the case of the stream, you will continue to flow, nourishing life downstream. If you get stuck in resentment and victimhood, it is as if the log dams up the water, creating a pool that can stagnate over time.
The cool thing is, you get to choose your reaction; it is completely within your control. When faced with a choice such as this, you can decide which option will better serve you by feeling the sensations in your body as you think about each scenario. Think about each choice as you feel into your body. It may feel relaxed or tense; warm or cool; heavy or light. Which feeling would you rather experience going forward? This is the choice that matches that feeling will serve you best.
Next time you are faced with a choice in how you react to a given situation, try quieting your mind and asking your body. It has the answer, you just need to be willing to listen.