A Stressful Situation to Cope With? Go with the Flow!

We all experience stressful situations and we are asked to cope with them, to accept them and to overcome them.
But we also know that it's more easy to think "let it go" than to live it!

One day, I was discouraged and I was complaining to a relative about a situation I found difficult to deal with.
Finally he told me a taoist story about an old man who fell into river rapids leading to a dangerous waterfall.

Witnesses feared for his life. But The old man came out of the waters, miraculously alive and unharmed at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive.
The old man told them "I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived."

Surely we have perhaps 0,0001% to live such an experience, but when you think about it, the message behind is universal and true.
When you feel you have no control on a situation, Go with the flow !

When we have to face a difficult situation, we are stressed and we focus on the negative most of the time.
Then we complain, feel resentful, angry or depressed and we think we are unable to get out of the negative situation by ourself or without a miracle.
Our first reactions are often to dramatize the problem.

Finally, we find always ways to get out of a tough situation, and Going with the flow is one of those ways we can use to help us to cope with challenges and obstacles that appear on our path.
Going with the flow doesn't mean to do nothing, but it helps to cope with a hard situation, with a more serene state of mind.

What can we do for going with the flow?

These are my 3 favorites tips

I avoid to complain too much : I can confide to people (relatives, friends...) about my problem but complaining doesn't help the others to propose objective and useful advice to help me better my situation. They will be too busy to complain with me and I don't really need more negative vibes to nurture the "negative" situation.
There is a time to complain (not too long!) and another to think and act.

I pray : praying is a marvellous tool to better one's life and feel more serene when we live a difficult situation.
Many scientific studies have shown conclusive evidence of the positive and powerful effects of prayer as a support, so don't be shy to pray!

A positive mind : Face the adversity with a smile is my motto.
Try the best you can to keep your mind clean of resentment and depressed feelings by seeing the best and positive side of your life.
For example, before sleeping, I think about everything good that happened to me in the day, and I visualize good things I want to do and live the next day.

When you feel that negativity comes back and that you really need to cry, so cry! But once you stop crying :

1)Remember a positive thing that happened to you or

2)Think about someone/something you love, and you'll see your smile come back.

In everyday life, recognizing good things around you and nurturing a positive mind help to have less difficulties for going with the flow, supporting difficult situations and finally attracting positive things into your life!

Life is made of paradoxes. A paradox is appears contradictory, but yet is true. We often don't think about it but, we can "control" situations by going with the flow.