Be Water My Friend…

Ice, Water, Steam

For this week’s writing challenge, take on the theme of H2O. What does it mean to be the same thing, in different forms?

 

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

― Bruce Lee

 

I think this quote is something everyone should try understand and adapt into their lives. Bruce Lee wasn’t just this crazy awesome fighter. He was this guy who understood life and body better than anybody else.

This quote talks about becoming like water because of the amazing properties it possesses.

 

Let’s look at some of the facts:

 

The human body is comprised of around 50-65% water (75% in the case of a child).

You’re probably looking at your body and thinking, “I am a mass of solid; I am not a liquid.” That is true. You are indeed a solid object. However, your body is a container and within that container rests the water in the form of blood. It is the most precious material in your body as without blood, you are unable to look after the systems in your body. Without blood, your body is an empty planet. The blood is your population.

Think about it, in terms of the planet Earth. 70% of earth is comprised of water. Imagine if there was no water on earth. It would be uninhabitable. Water is by far the most important thing on this planet.

If more than half of your body is already water, why not act like it?

 

Water has a neutral polarity. That means it has both a negative charge and a positive charge and it is because of these properties it can hold other particles close together. This is known as ‘Cohesion’.

We should be more like water in this sense as well. We should be able to keep ourselves attached to those who are close to us. Attract their negatives with our positives and use our negatives to attract to their positives. Remember, nobody is perfect but accepting the mistakes of yourselves and others can take you a long way.

I am aware this is also known as Bipolarity. I am not asking you to become Bipolar.

 

Water also has the ability to move on upwards in small places. This is known as ‘Capillary Action’.

We as humans have a knack of giving up when we come up against difficult challenges. We think this is a near impossible task and will not bother attempting it. Water doesn’t see any challenge too difficult.

If water can go against gravity and keep pushing up, why can we not do the same against our restrictions?

 

Water can change shape and form, based on its container and the heat of its surroundings.

This is the ultimate form of adaption. It doesn’t matter what you put it through. It doesn’t matter what you do to it. Water will remain. It may become a solid in the form of Ice or maybe a gas as it is evaporated into steam. But you cannot defeat water. It remains.

You can place it in a bottle or a teapot, as Bruce Lee stated. It makes no difference to water because it knows what it is and nothing can change that. It can change its shape and form. It can fit into different environments and adapt to it. But it will always still be water.

We need to embrace this philosophy in our lives as Bruce Lee had done in his. Being like water will help us adapt to changes in our lives. Change is inevitable but what we can do is prepare ourselves for any changes we may have to face. We must learn to adapt, just like water.

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The three forms of water is the basis of this post and this is where I would like to go deeper. As humans, we too can be affected by warmth and cold. Although we have our netural water form that we drift through on a daily basis, there is also the Ice and the steam.

The cold can affect us. This can be via somebody giving us the cold shoulder or alternatively it can be as simple as feeling blue. In this form, we become a lot harder and aren’t as pleasant to our surroundings. We find it harder to flow and adapt. Being like Ice, we do not sink, yet we are not comfortable having to bobble in and out of the sea that surrounds us. We become hostile and defensive. We must remain strong in this form otherwise we can crack under the pressure.

We have to understand that becoming Ice is just another form we possess and that it protects us from the cold. We must become strong and hard so that we aren’t so easily weathered down by the cold that surrounds us. During this period, we are no longer free to move as we please and are restricted to remaining in one place. We must look out for ourselves and hence the shield that is ‘Ice’ surrounds us to to form a barrier of protection.

The warmth can also bring out a different form. Steam is the total opposite to Ice. It’s not a solid so it doesn’t remain sturdy and grounded. Instead, it lives life in freeform. It can float as it pleases and go wherever it wants without a care in the world.

This form is revealed when we are either surrounded by happiness or pleased with ourselves. During this time we are forgiving, joyous and loving. It’s like your floating and can see everything in a different light.

 

Although both these forms are great in times of need, they both have their positives and negatives. Try to remain neutral like water as much as you can, but remember, all your forms are what makes you who you are. Try to adapt them so they flow with the world.

* * *

Here is a clip of the interview where Bruce Lee talks about being like water. That smile at the end shows he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

Be Water My Friend…

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