Your "Current" Checkin: If life was like water, what would yours look like right now?
I've been thinking about how we describe our "current" state of mind. Instead of the usual "I'm busy" or "I'm fine," I'd like to try looking through a different lens.
If your life were a river right now, what would it look like?
Maybe you feel like a mountain stream after a storm, moving way too fast and churning up mud so you can’t see the bottom. Or maybe you feel a bit clumsy in your kayak today, struggling to keep your paddle or getting caught on the rocks.
You might be working really hard to reach a specific spot on the bank that looks beautiful from a distance, even though it means paddling against the current to get there. Or perhaps you’ve decided to stop fighting the flow and let the water take you around the next bend to see what surprises are waiting for you.
Close your eyes and imagine it, then type out the description of your current state below!
Inspired by The Way of the River Series: a guide to help you find your flow, heal through struggle, and lead a healthier life: Dive in here! And if the series interests you, apply to join our closed chatroom here and join the conversation!
I am most likely in the middle of the rapids wedged between two half submerged rocks and unable to move but constantly getting pelted with water.
@Enthenia
It’s one thing to navigate the rush of the water, but being stuck in place while the current just keeps crashing into you sounds exhausting <3 If you’re comfortable sharing, what do you feel like is the main thing holding you in that spot right now?
@Heather225 I guess my own limitations or decisions which I suppose could be limitations as well. I try to make smart decisions in the way of finances and what I eat, etc. but more often than not, they turn out to be incorrect. For the most part my reality is the equivilant of a car being stuck in mud. The wheels spin but are unable to gain any traction that would make it possible for the vehicle to extract itself from its predicament.
I’d say I feel like a small, muddy pond. Not a lot happening here and it doesn’t seem very welcoming.
I feel exhausted, misunderstood and scared of what the future brings, but it’s not that bad. I still have a lot of things to enjoy today!
@Butterfly723389
It’s really brave to admit you’re feeling exhausted and a bit lost in the mud, yet you still find a way to point out the good things around you. That kind of outlook is a real gift, even when things feel a bit stagnant. Since you mentioned feeling misunderstood lately, what’s one thing you wish people could see beneath the surface?
I wish my parents understood that spending a day just chilling in my room does not mean I‘m lonely, but is helping me calm down and lets me enjoy being creative without worrying about anyone expecting anything from me.
It’s often like that, because usually I have a lot of Hobbies and meet up with friends and when I don’t want to, my parents worry. They don’t understand that being around people doesn’t automatically make me happy, sometimes it’s just exhausting. I try telling them - everytime - but they just don’t get it. It’s so hard for me to get a day just for myself.
@Heather225
I think I would be water with surface slicks right now. supposedly calm on top, but a raging torrent underneath.
@secretBanana1120
If you’re comfortable sharing, what does that torrent underneath feel like it's trying to say or do right now?
@Heather225
It has become an estuary since last year
@Fradiga
Sounds like a powerful shift! If you're open to sharing, how does this new space feel like?
@Heather225
An estuary (or a delta) is the end of a river. Can you guess what I meant?
At the estuary, the river becomes much wider which is true socially for me, on top of all the wonderful medical staff I meet. Your water becomes briny, meaning that you feel different physically. The tide comes in and goes out again - good days and bad ones. Some estuaries can be pretty long however.
@Heather225
if my life was like water, i would flow...seems obvious however it feels so lovely in my body to actually write that!! I would be surrounded by splashes which might feel like hugs. Although i might be cold all the time too. which right now that wouldnt be a problem but in winter i might not enjoy that. I have a sense of floating and keeping moving which i like because i wouldnt ruminate and procrastinate. I like the sound of that too. Maybe i could just imagine i was like water and I might not get quite as stuck on decisions. this has been lovely to reflect freely.
@Glyn001
I love the way you’ve reframed splashes as hugs. It sounds like a much kinder, lighter way to move through the world, especially since it gives you a break from that heavy cycle of overthinking and putting things off. So happy writing this out has helped <3
Since you mentioned that being like water might help with decisions, is there one choice you’re facing right now where you’d like to just let yourself flow instead of getting stuck?
@Heather225
I imagine myself standing in a large pool of water that the river has settled into, slowly taking in the scenery and watching the water move out of the way as i slowly walk through it, its sortof like the rapids of life have settled into this basin and let me take a breath, some may see sitting water as no progress but i see it as a break. i feel steady and calm, ready to take on the outlet of the pool and get back into the rapids of life, im grateful for the break and the recoup of some lost energy. :)
@justmiles
Great visuals! I can really see your perspective through your words. I love this: "some may see sitting water as no progress, but I see it as a break." While you're in this peaceful spot, what is one thing you're most looking forward to taking on once you feel ready to head back out?
@Heather225 Frozen ice
@blueBalsam900
I'm sorry it's feeling like that! If you feel like sharing, what is it that's making your life feel frozen over?
80% of the time it’s a hurricane 20% it’s smooth sailing
@Skips717
I can understand that hurricane. Hopefully it makes the smooth sailing moments feel even more important and valuable <3 Hang in there.
Lot’s of rocks and rapids are always coming my way. On their own, they’re not too much to handle, but in sequence they seem insurmountable. I’m getting good grades, which means allot to me. Now I need to maintain that level of focus on school work, and multiply it into job searching and housework. Though I make progress on everything every day, it sometimes never feels like it’s enough; which is very disappointing. I try not to dwell on anything too much. It’s hard when my partner vents their frustration at me for not being able to keep up with everything. It’s all so overwhelming and makes me feel powerless and out of control.
@RickestRick86
It sounds like you are wading through a really intense current right now. Getting good grades while balancing everything else is a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud of that focus. Making progress every day is a win, even if it doesn't feel like enough in the moment. You are doing a lot, and it is okay to feel drained when you are hit with one thing after another. Just keep taking it one stone at a time!
It's a savage river whose flow constantly changes. But I'm always drowning, even if it's barely deep