Morning Coffee #55: Be Like Water… aka Not Every Time Gra Gra

I have to give Lagosians one thing. They sure love aggression. From the minute they are awake, they push forward with this energy and clash with the world ahead of them. No matter the condition, they are always on the move. Except they are always the first to complain about stress. Traffic? Stress. Work? Stress. School? Stress. Relationship? Stress? Power outage? Stress. Even when they party and relax, it seems so stressful. At the end of the day, they get home exhausted and even engage in more gra gra over food or what to watch on TV. They shout at their kids or siblings. They shout at the TV. Stress.

Have you ever observed water? Whether it’s in a cup or boiling in a pot, water will always be water. It adapts to its environment and circumstance. I’ve always said you can’t really get rid of water because it will always find another form and adapt. If only we could be like water and assume its formlessness. We are so rigid in our ways that we find it difficult to adapt. We try to make things fit our own plans instead of finding a way to manoeuvre without spending so much energy. We can’t even sit still for too long, there is always something to be done.

As for me, I know I can sit still for a while but I can’t seem to handle fragile objects. Too much gra gra. And it is something I have been working on. Instead of forcing my way through things, I’m learning formlessness. Being like water. And it is not easy. Maybe you did not read that well so I will say it again:

BEING LIKE WATER IS NOT EASY!

Nonetheless, I do believe with constant work, I will get there. Why would I spend the rest of my life burning up so much energy that I end up exhausted every night when I could just adapt to everything without complaining? Instead of rushing my food, I could sit down and enjoy my meal. Instead of speaking fast, I could take my time and calmly get my point across. Even when the hustle and bustle is at an all-time high and I am caught in the middle, I could just go with the flow without expending too much energy.

After all, waterfalls have an endpoint. Just be like water, guys.

Cheers!