Water hitting the rock | Life Series

Blogging has influenced me to explore subjects that are not entirely native to my areas of knowledge or specialty, or should I say my desire to explore vocations outside my comfort zone has led me to blog?

Read time: 1.30 min. 

In one of these expeditions, I read about the Earth formation, climate changes and the carving of Earth by the ocean current. This phenomenon stayed with me and has become the topic of today’s blog.

Water and rock, liquid and solid are the two extremes. We get hit with a pound of water or a pound of rock, and we know which one will hurt us more. And in a controlled environment, water hitting the rock does not make as much of a splash as a rock hitting the water does. Try pouring a glass of water on a rock and dropping a rock on the water from the same distance. Yet, in this battle between the water and the rock, it’s the rock that caves in eventually. In fact, in some instances, the rock disappears and blends with the water. It starts with a tiny crack, and over time, the rock and the water become one.

Why is that?

Consistent persistence.

I got two key learnings from this. 

What if you are the water?

No matter how strong the barriers be in our path to achieving our dreams, we will find success if we persevere consistently. There’s more. I also learnt that the water does not hit the rock the same way all the time. The gravitational pull adjusts the intensity of the hit that shapes the rock. So, keeping at it consistently, and adjusting our path on removing the barriers will eventually find us the breakthrough.

But, what if you are the rock?

We stand no chance. If we are in the path of the water, one day it will break us down. Applying this to our non-geological world, no matter how deceptively harmless our surroundings may appear, if we are in the mix of negative influence, it’s only a matter of time, that the surroundings will over-power us. Eventually, we and the surroundings will become one.

For instance, if we surround ourselves with positive and happy people, we will likely become like them one day. Whereas, if we surround ourselves with people carrying the complaint baggage, then we should expect to take some of that baggage ourselves at some point.

We may be solid to withstand external influence. However, it’s likely to break us at one point once a small crack opens up. In my previous blog, Build Some Walls, we discussed the importance of building walls for shielding us from the invaders. Besides building the protective walls, we must also choose our surroundings. Some battles just cannot be won, so it’s wise to pick the right battle that will make us what we expect to become. Stepping away could sometimes be a better choice than trying to fight it out.

Look around. Who are you surrounding yourself with? They will change and shape you in ways you cannot control, for better or for worse. Sooner or later, you will become them. So, immerse yourself if they are taking you toward the person you want to be, or change your surroundings.

There’s wisdom everywhere if we know where to look. Do share if you come across any nuggets of wisdom that could be in our Common Interest.

So long, until next week.

Razak
CommonInterest