Which are you; Are you a solid or are you a liquid?
I was thinking about this over the past weekend as I was driving and saw part of a lake that was frozen solid and part of the lake that wasn’t frozen. It remained a liquid because there was a movement of water. All of a sudden, it struck me: Am I a solid, or am I a liquid? And what is the difference between the two?
A solid cannot move; it is set—oftentimes, in stone. That’s sometimes how people think. They tell themselves; I have always done it this way. I have put together this plan, and I cannot move.
I hope I am never a solid because I know the way to make meaningful changes is by being a liquid. I think of a river. A river, as it flows through the caverns of life, can carve out a canyon little by little. It may take an extended period of time. Think of the Grand Canyon—it's a breathtaking monument to nature, but it was carved out by a river. The liquid made the difference.
The solid, in this case, was the very thing that was shaped and transformed. If you don’t change your thinking, you may find yourself devastated at some point because what you thought to be true turns out not to be. Belief systems—whether about time, money, or family—can and often do change over time.
How many times have I met parents who believed they could control their children? Anyone who has raised youngsters knows the frustration of seeing them go their own way despite instilling certain values and truths. The same happens with employers and employees. An employer might believe they've established a solid set of standards, only to discover their employees no longer adhere to them.
And what about relationships? Between a husband and wife, for example—do you believe you can control the other person? Likely not. And do you think you would allow yourself to be controlled by someone else? Again, likely not. We must all be willing to be fluid, to change our flow depending on the circumstances we face.
So, as you look at your life—whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond—ask yourself: Are you set in your ways like a rock? Or are you willing to adapt like water? Consider what happens when water is involved, whether it's a hurricane, a tsunami, or simply a babbling brook.
Are you willing to adjust and be liquid, or are you a hard, unmovable solid? Which will serve you better in life?
Take a moment to reflect. Moving forward from today, which will you choose to be: a liquid or a solid?
