Quote:
“Flow with whatever may happen, and let your mind be free.”
—Zhuangzi
I used to think freedom meant controlling everything—my schedule, my future, even my emotions. If I planned enough, prepared enough, or worried enough, maybe things would go the way I wanted. But life never stayed within the lines I drew for it. Small things—unexpected changes, tense moments at home, surprises at school—felt like disruptions instead of parts of life.
When I first read Zhuangzi’s words, I didn’t understand them. “Flow” sounded passive, as if I should stop caring. But over time, I realized he wasn’t telling me to give up effort—he was telling me to let go of resistance. Most of my stress didn’t come from the event itself, but from fighting it in my mind. I kept trying to force life to match my expectations instead of meeting it as it came.
There was a day when everything felt off—plans changed, people were tense, and nothing moved the way I hoped. I felt the familiar urge to tighten up, to mentally push back. Then I remembered Zhuangzi’s line. So I tried something different: I stopped resisting. I let the day be imperfect. I did what I could, and let the rest pass.
Surprisingly, the moment I stopped fighting life, it stopped feeling like it was fighting me.
Flowing doesn’t mean losing direction. It means keeping your direction even when the water shifts. It means being steady inside, even when the outside moves. And when the mind loosens its grip, there’s room to breathe again.
Sometimes, the freedom I’m looking for isn’t found in control—it’s found in letting things be what they are, and letting myself move with them.
2024-04-27