Best Approach to Life ...

"Whoever is still and inflexible is a

disciple of death. Whoever is yielding

is a disciple of life."

Lao-tzu

Austrian poet, Rainer Manier Wilke, reflected in his writing the importance of unfolding ourselves to discover a fuller life, encouraging us to never to leave parts of the self in creases.  Lao-tzu states that the hard and stiff will be broken while the flexible will prevail.  Mark Nepo shares that resistance only makes things worse.

Clouds floating through the sky or the gentle pace of streaming water perhaps portrays the best approach to life.  The persistence of life will overcome resistance, leaving damage in its quake. No longer hidden by avoidance or denial, we can face head on what is coming and move through it best that we can.  We can savor the good and discard whatever is not a part of our lesson.

Mark Nepo encourages us to 'lean in' to our experiences for nurturing and wisdom.  He suggests we do not try to save everything, but to continue to let the stream float through us. In our hearts we know resistance complicates the challenge.  Let us choose wisely using an openness that may cause reparable harm, but not devastate.   (Mark Nepo:  THE BOOK OF AWAKENING)