“It is only in appearance that time is a river. It is rather a vast landscape and it is the eye of the beholder that moves.” – Thornton Wilder

The river, a metaphor for our internal awareness, is vast.  The river, and its energy, is a flow of ideas, imaginings, feelings, beliefs, and actions.  On our river we make decisions based on the upcoming terrain.  When obstacles appear, we tap into our resources or we suffer a few bumps and bruises. 

We get back on track when we move with our river.  Our river is who we are, not who we or others think we are.  My river is my true self.  I can listen to my river or ignore my river but the flow of my life will continue regardless.

My river is my personal evolution to understand and manage my journey into life’s constant change and connection to all things. The ‘eye of the beholder’ is moving because my life is moving.  I prefer movement over stagnation.  Learning will occur through movement, whether that movement is successful or not I will still learn.

Follow Your River

“I am an intelligent river which has reflected successively all the banks before which it has flowed by meditating only on the images offered by those changing shores.” – Victor Hugo

To be an intelligent river I will need to possess self-observation skills.  How do I feel?  Is this the right decision for me?  Is this the best option for me?  Am I confident or fearful?  Do I commit?  My skills will give my river direction not outcomes.  Outcomes are beyond my personal control.  

When we travel our river, we are in tune with an internal knowledge and awareness that allows us to grow and flourish.  A lack of connection to this internal resource puts unnecessary limitations on our potential.

To follow one’s internal voice creates a symbiotic relationship within.  Our river serves as a metaphor to listen and adhere to the message of that voice.  

The Pace of Change

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” – Heraclitus

The pace of change is accelerating every year.  Our environment is changing and so are we.  Profiling people psychologically is virtually meaningless because we are in a constant state of evolution.  Trait theory has become irrelevant.  We have learned from modern living that life is in a constant state of flux.  Just as the river is changing, so are we.

The Cherokee Indian

One culture that truly understood the connection of water to life was the Cherokee nation.  The Cherokee tribe described the river as ‘the flow of life’.  They saw the river as the ‘long man’.  The head of the river was in the mountains and the feet emptied into the sea. 

Their respect for the river amounts to not only respect for the earth but also one’s self-respect.  The land and one’s sense of self were viewed as one.  You could not show disrespect for the land without showing disrespect for yourself. The river, or ‘Long Man’, was called upon for strength, for cleansing, for washing away sadness, and for helping to cure ailments.

The spiritual connection with the land served the Cherokee nation for centuries.  They even asked for forgiveness in prayer for taking the lives of animals and plants that provided the food they consumed to live.  That is a connection modern inhabitants can hardly even imagine.

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” - Abraham Maslow

Travelling Your River

What are the implications of travelling our river today?  Could our river, our internal awareness, be a vital resource we need to tap into more often?

To follow your river means something unique to each person.  Maybe it is a vehicle to absorb life’s challenges or even some temporary obstacles.  When we travel our river on a regular basis, we can learn to navigate these rocks and turbulent waters more easily.  We become more skilled at the recognition of possible negative consequences. 

The river becomes our eyes, our ears, our courage, our confidence, and our internal guide.  We learn the more salient messages of our life journey through this internal metaphor.  Being more focused on the inside-out means we are less affected by the outside-in. 

And, the beauty of a river of consciousness is the constant movement.  Movement that ensures that stagnation is less of an option since our river is flowing, cleansing, renewing, and evolving.  Ultimately, this river helps us be where we need to be.