I usually don’t do this, at least, the past 700 blogs I have written have never been a look into my week in hindsight. But this week seems to demand that type of writing, or at least, maybe my scorching heart.

One very important realization came to mind for me today when I was thinking about everything that has happened in the past 7 days.

When you spend your life trying to be a rock, you end realizing that you should actually be like water.

I realized that the most successful people in this world, the most adaptable people, are not made of concrete or iron or steel…because with enough force those can be broken – it’s the people who are like water that continue down the path with grace.

Thick skin can be penetrated.

If you are a person who survives on peoples compliments you will die from their criticisms. That reminds me of someone who is ever shapeshifting to please the people around them. The middle ground, I thought, was to have this exterior that was impenetrable to things that people would say or do. I found out that this approach really doesn’t work. Like I said before, I spent most of my life trying to harden up to protect the things that were inside of me. It looks like we are having a pretty honest moment here.

But this idea about water really stuck with me. Then I went digging and found the famous Bruce Lee quote about being like water and that really got me thinking.

It made me think of the situation I was in earlier this week. If you are a bucket of water, someone might stick their fist in to punch a hole in you, but as soon as they take it out the water flows right back into place. Sure the level raised a bit. There may be a few drips of water gone here or there…but in the end, no hole.

There are days and sometimes weeks when I really wonder when the next thing I am going to learn will be. Then…days like today hit. These are the days I love. Not because everything changed, but because I was given a little nugget in which I could send myself down a better direction.

In the past, I was easily offended by those who forgot about me, didn’t respond, or mistreated me. That was my “thick skin” or what I thought was thick skin, being cracked at left and right. But now, I realize, I don’t have to have thick skin at all. I have to adapt and adjust as I go…sometimes completely in the moment.

I have to be like water, so when I need to crash I can, and when I need to flow…I will.

Evan Sanders
The Better Man Project