The Art of Being Liquid! 

“Do you know we are studying ‘Matter’ in our Science class!” exclaimed my 7 year old pointing towards the glass of water as we were all having dinner the other day.  “Did you know’ he said almost in the same breath, ‘Liquid is flexible!!?’

“Hmmm”, I said, pretending I have no idea what he is talking about, “what do you mean it’s flexible?”

He goes, “Meaning it can take any shape you pour it into. So if you pour water in a glass it will take the shape of a glass, if you pour it in a jar instead it will take the jar’s shape, if you fill it inside a balloon it will take the round shape of the balloon!” he continued explaining with a grin on his face and glitter in his eyes. 

 “Wow!"I said, "that’s a really great quality of liquid. It is definitely very accommodating and adaptive in nature.”

He gave me a broad smile feeling very proud of his explanation.

As we finished the dinner and I started putting away the dishes, the thought stayed with me. Flexibility, IS a huge deal! Being flexible with our environs, with the people around us and with our day to day rigid routine is one of the most rewarding yet one of the hardest things to do. One of the superior skills in high demand these days is to be the ‘Agent for Change’. To be able to perpetuate in the constantly changing world.  To be able to figure out how we can innovate and turn the ‘expected’ and ‘boring’ into ‘unconventional’ and ‘refreshing’.

I had just recently read somewhere, ‘Change is hard but complacency kills!’ Not being flexible, in other words, being opposed to change, is being complacent. It is kind of pushing ourselves to a silent acceptance of the way we have known things, the way we like to do things and the way we like them to stay. Because it is very convenient not to change them around, because we are habitual of a certain way of life and because it is the familiar way.  Are we too ‘Solid’ in our approach towards life? When was the last time we broke the monotony of things and did something crazy different?  When was the last time we challenged the way something worked and innovated a better way to work it out? When was the last time we broke the ‘Status-Quo’ and did something to encourage ‘Status-Grow’!

Thinking of liquid, not only it adapts to its surrounding but also if you just let it fall freely on the surface it defines its own space from the limitless possibilities and unknown boundaries! Got me thinking into how we can use the analogy to guide us in the way we raise our kids! Expose them to everything necessary, raise their level of awareness, empower them to make their decisions, hold them and comfort them as they learn their lessons and then let them define their universe, their potential, and their capabilities and competence. I am pretty sure it will be much more than what we can pre-cook and define for them.

There are a million and more ways to be a liquid in your approach to life but only one to remain solid. One is the way of change, adaptation and innovation the other is the way of remaining constant and complacent with what you got.

What’s your way? In the end, it all ‘matters’! :)