The very nature of the universe we live in is that of constant flux. Everything is ever-changing. Existence is a continuous flow.
“No man steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” – Heraclitus
Most people, however, live in complete discordance with this universal flux and instead operate with a fearful, neurotic, false sense of control. To want to control situations, or to even think that the future will unfold a certain way, is utterly insane. Why? Because the only constant is change. Trying to control everything in a universe defined by perpetual fluctuation is like attempting to swim upstream in a gigantic, immensely powerful river. Why resist the flow, when you can leverage it and ride with the current?
Alan Watts summarized it so well…
“There is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentariness and fluidity. But the contradiction lies a little deeper than the mere conflict between the desire for security and the fact of change. If I want to be secure, that is, protected from the flux of life, I am wanting to be separate from life. Yet it is this very sense of separateness which makes me feel insecure. To be secure means to isolate and fortify the “I,” but it is just the feeling of being an isolated “I” which makes me feel lonely and afraid. In other words, the more security I can get, the more I shall want.
To put it still more plainly: the desire for security and the feeling of insecurity are the same thing. To hold your breath is to lose your breath. A society based on the quest for security is nothing but a breath-retention contest in which everyone is as taut as a drum and as purple as a beet.”
The only sane way to approach life within a universe defined by flux is to have to following mentality: Embrace the mystery and enjoy the ride.
You can’t control other people’s actions. You can’t control what life throws at you (for the most part). And you don’t know where the future will lead.
Let go and ride the current of life.
Embrace the inherent mystery of the universe, don’t neurotically try to create a vacuum. Like the old quote goes, “Nature abhors a vacuum.”
Deepak Chopra provides similar advice in his book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
I will factor in uncertainty as an essential ingredient of my experience. In my willingness to accept uncertainty, solutions will spontaneously emerge out of the problem, out of the confusion, disorder, and chaos. The more uncertain things seem to be, the more secure I will feel, because uncertainty is the path to my freedom.
I will step into the field of all possibilities and anticipate the excitement that can occur when I remain open to an infinity of choices. When I step into the field of all possibilities, I will experience all the fun, adventure, magic, and mystery of life.
You will change. Your relationships will change. Your desires will change. Your goals will change. Your circumstances will change. But here’s the kicker… You will be able to adjust to all of it; and thrive. You have the inherent capacity to deal with any situation that occurs in your life. There is no need to fear.
Remember, you might not be able to control what life throws at you, but you can most certainly control how you react to it.
Flow with the river of life.
Embrace the mystery.
Enjoy the ride.
– Stevie P!
