Muscle vs. Flow

There is a podcast I absolutely love called the Bruce Lee podcast. It's available on iTunes and SoundCloud if you're interested:

https://soundcloud.com/brucelee

Each week Sharon and Shannon Lee (his daughter) share the lessons and philosophies of the legendary actor, philosopher, and martial artist Bruce Lee. One particular episode entitled, "Be a Nobody," really caught my attention. 

The hosts discussed this culture of "hustle," that is so prevalent in our society today. Check your Instagram, or Facebook page and it's strewn with images of our favorite celebrities screaming, working out, and emphasizing the importance of the "grind." 

I think many of the messages are inspiring and well-intentioned.They simply want people to take action and work toward their dreams, which is a very noble endeavor.

As someone who hustles toward his dreams, I've recently taken inventory of how exhausting it can me to "muscle" through everything. And I'm still not convinced more necessarily gets done by buying into this culture.

What about flow? The idea of moving in a direction with momentum and a sense of harmony. It absolutely does not mean you don't work hard, or won't face obstacles, but rather you have a greater sense of fluidity in your actions and thoughts. 

Think of a stream racing through a valley. Invariably, there will be a rock or boulder in it's way. The water doesn't stop and scream, "Move!" It simply goes above, around, or below. And it somehow does it all seamlessly, while still reaching it's destination. 

There is still great momentum, energy, and effort being expended but in a way that incorporates that resistance as merely part of the journey.

Today, ask yourself if you muscle or flow toward your goals. And how can you incorporate more harmony, fluidity, and exert the right type of energy to get closer to where you want to be.