Pushing the River
“You don’t have to push the river, it’s already flowing” says Elizabeth Jeffries, a management consultant who found herself pushing her life too hard. She had her saying about the river put into beautiful calligraphy. She hung the declaration over her desk to remind herself to flow with the river not fight against it.
Not having to push the river is an appealing metaphor and catch-phrase. As much as I like it, I also think the sentiment is one that could lead you into trouble if you don’t put some boundaries around it.
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Don’t Push the River, Work It |
Not pushing the river is not to say that you should “just go with the flow.” Just flowing along could lead you to… who knows where?
Not pushing the river does not mean that you don’t plan ahead or that you can give up on navigating or steering along your journey.
Not fighting is not the same thing as surrendering, abdicating, or giving up.
So yes, don’t push the river. Ride the river. Work the river.
Find the currents in your life. Find ways to use them so that they help you go where you want to go.
Explore posts in the same categories: Personal Power, Mindset
December 6th, 2005 at 11:28 am
Don - in support of your “work the river” advice, I do believe that the river will take you where you need to go, but you still gotta row.
December 6th, 2005 at 11:42 am
Oh, yeah. Some days you raise the sails. Some you paddle leisurely.
Some you paddle furiously.
And some you fire up that twin outboard with more horses than you can count, you bear down on that throttle, and go like mad to where you need to go!
December 6th, 2005 at 11:21 pm
You and I are dangerous together — man, can we stretch out a metaphor!