3 Ways To Be Like Water And Show Up Without Losing Yourself

I described her as water. 

Water was the first and only word that came to mind when asked about her. "She's like water", I said. I did not know why that element came to mind. I had not thought of her previously as such, but at that moment, water was the word that made sense. It was incidental, not at all thought out, yet it felt right.

Water exists in three states: solid, gas, and liquid. All three states can be manipulated to produce distressing, breathtaking, and evoking sensations. 

Water can shapeshift into any form it desires and fit in any space it wishes. Water has no boundaries, yet it is guided, tamed, and never fully and truly captured. Such power has no superiority over it, yet it understands it has to respond to direction and guidance—and that is why it remains a force to be reckoned with.

What does it mean to be like water? Here are 3 ways to be like water and show up without losing yourself. These three characteristics will help you to adapt and learn from water in your personal life, career, and everything in between. 

Fluid Like Water

Be fluid like water. Be someone who can be molded and guided. Water cannot be bent or broken and can still be contoured and meandered (guided) to take a desired direction yet continue to hold its power and natural composition. It is applauded to have and wield control and power; however, to have the fluidity to be guided despite such autonomy and force is wisdom worth acquiring.

Being fluid like water means your form can change and adapt without losing who you innately are, your true self, and without you using force or losing control.

Many think being flexible, coachable, or moldable means you are a pushover and your voice needs to be heard. But water rages as waves, tsunamis, floods, and hails when necessary. At the same time, it remains firm and completely still under pressure when the atmosphere demands it. It remains, without debate, respected and honored—even in its silent stillness, you cannot overlook it. Power, authority, and influence do not remain or last with force - they stay timeless with a heavy touch of gentleness and restraint.

Let your presence, strength, and influence be fluid like water. Your fluidity can still bring mountains to you.

Strong Like Water

The strength of water cannot be quantified. In this idea of being like water, you cannot say I am stronger than the other person because I have three barrels of water, and they have one. The strength of one barrel of water can do as much damage as three barrels will.

For instance, you do not need to drop your phone in three barrels of water for it to stop working. You can drop it in a puddle of water, and the phone will turn into a gewgaw. In the same way, one does not have to get into a pool to get wet. Sprinkles of water can give you the same feeling. Thus, strength can come in small quantities. Sometimes, we are most effective when we go small, choose less, and take the simple (lonely) route.

Effectiveness is not about quantity. To be strong like water means practicing the art of efficacy with or in small ranges and amounts. Your strength can simply be shown through one word, no words, one motion, or no movement. Going big does not always show strength - remember, a phone can become a gewgaw when dropped in a puddle of water; it does not need a barrel of water to be reduced to nothing.

Embrace Like Water

Water is a home and source of life. It grows trees and shelters animals. It cleanses, comforts, and heals us.

When others in your community, network, workplace, or any proximity to you think of comfort, do you come to mind? When they look for a home, a shelter (metaphorically and literally in some cases), do they come to you? How about when someone is looking for a defender, a shield, are you that person they reach out to? Or would they rather face giants with low survival probability than come to you? If you have to think too long and argue with the answers to these questions, you probably need to rethink your role in your social circle, yourself, family, or community.

Water is not selfish. It is free and open. It gives in doses but never withholds.

If you practice these qualities, they will reward you. If you do not abuse them, they will remain a pure source you can count on. You will see a difference, and so will others around you. 

Okay, readers, this is what my thoughts had to say this week. Catch me on my next post, and if you want help with some of these things, click here to schedule a complimentary clarity call with me.

Colliding Into Place Coaching Services provides tailored life, personal finance, and executive function coaching services.

Be gentle with yourself,

Celestina