Taking Life as it Comes
Like a River Flows
Audio narration by David Marlow
“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
~ John O'Donohue
What would it be like living life like a river flows?
Embracing each surprise and unfolding?
Many will link Ikigai to the state of FLOW as described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book of the same name.
“...a state of complete immersion in an activity. Being immersed can be defined as a state of focus in which a person is completely absorbed and engrossed in their work…
The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."
There are moments like that in Ikigai, perhaps even days.
In between is a lot of life.
For that, O’Donohue’s thought provides more guidance.
The river doesn’t choose its path; it flows into it, follows it, and becomes it.
🌀 Like a river flows.
🌊 What does it mean to live life “carried by the surprise of its own unfolding?”
🌊 The river becomes itself with no effort, plan, or agenda. How might we live more like that, with no effort, agenda or plan?
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Good day David! I like the theme and this quote comes to mind > “No person ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and they are not the same person.”― Heraclitus Even in an instant actions and circumstances are not exactly the same. Quest may be to take the lessons of the day not as reactive but proactive towards ones greater good and at the center of that is the TRUTH in all things. We hear of "the force" in Star Wars which is good and evil. In this world a force too exists and for many it is diverse. For some it is the one true and Triune God with Jesus that came and bore witness to the TRUTH. One universal theme runs true throughout all the Human Race and that is Agape (Unconditional) Love. This like the river flows offering cool, clear and crisp water to quench ones thirst after a long hot run or as the woman at the well who can never get satisfied. Who wants a drink of spiritual water that is ever refreshing ;)
I have long been intrigued by the concept of flow, experiencing it with all such things as manual work, design, and music.
At the same time, I can also see how a river could be at the mercy of the terrain that guides it and the rains that feed it. So I like to think of my river as the result of my intentional efforts to create the conditions enabling flow to occur. Awareness of my environment, as well as what came before and what lies ahead.