Pushing Or Pulling? - Grasshopper

The old Chinese proverb says, “Don’t push the river, it flows by itself.” And the term “pulling strings” comes from the world of puppetry. The question is: Are you being pushed and pulled “to and fro “that you’ve forgotten that you have a say in where you go?

Who hasn’t felt that they were dancing at the end of string pulled by someone else? And who can’t remember being pushed into something they didn’t want to do? They seem to be common themes of someone who’s coming apart at the seams.

 

So, we know the problem, but is there an answer?  Yes, but the answer is like the sport of golf: simple but not easy.

 

The simple answer is to get into the river and get in rhythm with its flow and it will take you where you want to go.

 

The hard part is inertia. We’ve grown so accustomed to sitting on the riverbank that jumping in wreaks of effort. You can start slow and test the waters by putting in your toe. But what creates the impulse that makes you jump in completely?

 

The answer comes from finding out which strategy you prefer: “To or Fro.”

 

“To” is towards and “Fro” is away from. Do you move towards pleasure or do you move away from pain? It seems we do one or the other. Find out which one you do and use it to follow through.

 

My guess is that people who “move towards” act a lot quicker. They seem to have less procrastination. That’s because they get focused on the pleasurable goal instead of grinding themselves to a halt by contemplating all the painful steps.

 

But avoiding pain will get you there too; you’ll just spend more time removing the glue, that keeps you stuck in place.

 

Let’s say you want to move. Take the time to envision the pleasure you’ll experience by relocating to the new locale. Then, feel what it’ll be like if stay where you are. Which one is more present in your body, pleasure or pain?

 

That’s your catalyst. If it’s pleasure, gather up all the images and feelings of living someplace new. They will build to a point where you are eager to leap. If it’s pain, feel it in your bones how dreadful it will be to remain. This will also build to a crescendo where the only option will be to get in the flow and go.

 

Where do you want to go? Will you be pushed by pleasure or pulled away by pain? Find out and you’ll have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

All the best,

John