Think about a time when nothing worked out; you feel you had tried it all yet to come out on top. Why is that? Let’s dive into this and think about ourselves as Ice, water, and steam. You can choose whichever you want to be. Before reading this, take a minute and ask yourself which one you would be and why?
What do Ice and Negativity Have in Common?
Now, let’s get into what each of these represents. Starting with “Ice” in this context represents negativity; let’s think about the piece of ice as a cube. It doesn’t flow and will always hold its shape so long as it’s frozen. And let’s pretend that obstacles in life are shapes that you must fit in to move forward, almost like the show “hole in the wall.” If you run into a circle shape, the only way you would fit in is if the circle was bigger or if the shape was the exact size of the ice cube, which doesn’t happen because life doesn’t cater to someone who won’t change to improve. If the shape is too big, you are left with excess space you can’t fill. And if you do happen to run into something that is the exact shape, you’re going to run into an issue when the next one comes around.
Be Like Water
If you chose “water,” this represents neutrality. Water is always going to sit in whatever shape holds it. Change the shape as often as you like; it will always be that shape. It will always show the actual image of what it sits in. When we think of being like water, we often remember Bruce Lee’s quote, “Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup”. When you empty your mind of opinions, biases, and intrusive thoughts. You’re able to see things as they truly are. Neutrality allows you to see ways to deal with whatever is in front of you. When you commit to seeing things as they are, your mind opens up to possibilities you didn’t know were possible. Also, one of the most significant benefits is seeing yourself as you truly are. You aren’t going to be optimistic or pessimistic; you see yourself as you are at that moment. But it doesn’t stop here because you don’t want to constantly be in a state of neutrality; neutrality is used to achieve positivity.
Always Remember that Steam Rises
If you chose “steam,” this represents positivity. Steam will also fill any shape it’s in, but unlike water, it rises. When you are positive as a result of neutrality, you move past that block holding you back in the first place. Because now you’re realistically problem-solving. But, although positivity is an excellent tool for moving past things and enjoying time and experiences, it’s not beneficial to always be positive.
Each of these things has a time and place where they all come into play; there is no single state to be in that is the true answer. The trick is to find when to be in each. If you see a situation as “negative,” look at it for what it is, then use that realistic perspective on what it is to move toward positivity. If you looked at something truly negative as positive, it would look like delusion, you would be lying to yourself. If you saved up a million dollars and lost it all, you are not only in a negative physical balance but also in a negative situation, depending on how you lost it. You’re not going to sit there and talk about how you love to lose millions of dollars for no reason. You realize that it’s negative, and you move on. Okay, how did you lose it? What happened, and what can I do about this? Once you see that, you move on again; now you’re doing something about it. Take these steps and become something better than who you are right now. If you don’t see a way out of your current situation, you need to change your perspective on how things are going for you, then come up with a plan to bring you positivity.
