The River of Life


I've always loved the awesome majesty of mountains. They are, however, the byproduct of the rivers that formed them: flowing, adjusting, carving, crashing and gently nurturing the land and animals along the way. The river carves its way through, and the mountains answer as towers of strength. Like the river, our lives are forever moving and changing, shaping us as the water shapes the land it flows through.

The water's FLOW shapes the river, shapes the land, and defines the river's size along its path. The water reacts to obstacles in its way. It creates pools, channels, and gorges. It also determines the habitat and landscape that surrounds it, the food sources within it, and the animal and plant life that can survive in it. The animals and plants depend on it for life itself. In the same way, we flow and adjust, change and contribute along the path of life.

There is an unseen force driving the flow: THE UNDERCURRENT. The undercurrent can be strong and drive the flow quickly. Like the river, we have a hidden force that drives us. The spirit that drives us can be strong and vibrant; sometimes beautiful, sometimes murky, and sometimes unknown.

The RAPIDS result from obstacles beneath the surface. We experience turbulence when unexpected changes/obstacles affect us. At times staying afloat seems like an insurmountable task. We struggle to adapt to the rapids in our life and find that the turbulence becomes part of our life's flow.

WATERFALLS are strong, powerful, one of nature's greatest hazards and most beautiful phenomena. For us, the waterfalls of life interrupt our normal flow with great force and strength. Major life changes throw us into emotional falls, and feelings that are strong, intense and powerful. The waterfall is unpredictable and frightening because we lose control. If we ride the waterfall, we can savor the feeling that awaits us when we arrive at the gentle swirling pools at the bottom.

WHIRLPOOLS form when the rushing water hits an obstruction. The water turns around and around, in a swirling motion?. Spinning and out of control. In our lives, the whirlpools churn us around, suck us in and spit us out. The secret to surviving the whirlpools is to relax, let go, and realize we are not in control of many things. Even though we think we will sink at the time and never be able to come up for air, we will eventually pop up, just as a leaf that is sucked into the whirlpool will pop up.

Reaching the calm POOLS is the reward. For us, the pools bring those moments of calm and reflection. This is the place for learning and recuperation?. taking a deep breath?. And then moving on.

At the EDDIES, the water actually turns around and flows upstream along the bank, and then turns around to join the downstream flow. For us, the eddy is the place for reflection; Looking at what is past, learning from it, and moving on.

In the end, the river, which is now bulging with life, energy, and fullness, joins the sea, contributing all it has gathered along the way. Just like us: we flow, adjust, grow, and bring what we have to something bigger.

Copyright Soaring 2004 by Cheryl Perlitz

All rights reserved

About The Author

In the business world, Cheryl Perlitz is best known as the author of the popular book, "Soaring Through Setbacks - Rise above adversity - Reclaim your life" and her upcoming book "Survival Tips Handbook."

Cheryl's clients, friends and colleagues know her as a fearless mountain climber and nature lover with an insatiable spirit of adventure. She is a dynamic speaker and trainer/facilitator for Candidate University and the National Speakers Assn.

Cheryl's message to you; "TRANSFORM YOUR MOUNTAINS INTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVENTURE AND POSITIVE CHANGE." You may contact Ms. Perlitz through her website.

julie@rivendellcommunications.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Toledo Blade

FAITH: Feb. 4
Wicked Local
Listen to his inspirational talk on life's journey and how we can change our destination with hope and faith. Check him out at vincenteramo.com. For more information, call the church office at 508-746-1642. Parents, grandparents and caregivers are ...
Faith BriefsMuncie Star Press

all 43 news articles »


Will Zuckerberg's IPO letter be as inspiring as Larry Page's?
ZDNet (blog)
Just 90 minutes to try and find and write the best news stories, looking at the same information that thousands of journalists were looking at. Our job was made tougher because our US competition had far more time, the Wall Street Journal and the New ...

and more »


New Straits Times

No soaring inspirational rhetoric but a pragmatic plan to address America's ...
New Straits Times
For it is so ordained, that "he shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient". The phrasing of that one sentence is ...

and more »


Inspiring Voices Contest Provides Authors a Rewarding Opportunity to Get Published
PR Web (press release)
For more information about self-publishing opportunities with Inspiring Voices, please visit: http://www.inspiringvoices.com. Inspiring Voices, a service of Guideposts, is dedicated to helping authors share their words of hope, faith and inspiration ...

and more »


San Francisco Conference observations: Enterprise transformation, enterprise ...
ZDNet (blog)
The power of ubiquitous technology to transform the enterprise was the theme of the inspirational plenary presentation given by Andy Mulholland, Global CTO and Corporate Vice President at Capgemini. Mobility, the cloud, and big data are the three ...

and more »


A Dude's Guide to Pinterest
Philadelphia Magazine (blog)
Initial poking around on the site revealed lots of wedding planning foofery, a miasma of nursery schematics, lots of treacly/earnest inspirational postery things, and like a bajillion pairs of handcrafted earrings. (A search for “Pinterest” on ...

and more »


Around Your Town: 02/06/12
Sierra Vista Herald
For more information, contact Aaron at 378-9330 or info@cochisecountyvva.org. The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 10 am to 3 pm Feb. 7 at the Center for Academic Success, 900 Carmelita Dr. To Schedule an appointment, call 439-3528.

and more »


Brave Amarni's life at risk from bugs
Halifax Evening Courier
The inspirational four-year-old has been diagnosed with a severe form of aplastic anaemia, a blood disease that affects only one or two people in every million. Amarni's bone marrow produces no white or red blood cells and no platelets, ...



An Inspirational Woman - Living With Aids
AllAfrica.com
We had a purpose to work around HIV because we realised there was no information around HIV in the community", Mam' Lorna says about why she started PUSH. Kliptown, where PUSH is located, is now renowned for its trader's market.



Rome Indoor Run/Walk raises $25343
Utica Observer Dispatch
*Inspirational Honoree, Russell Arant, a 35-year-old Rome resident and director of Surgical Services at Rome Memorial Hospital told his story during the opening ceremony about his open heart surgery in October 2010. During an annual physical, ...
Rome Free Academy hosts Indoor Run/Walk eventThe Rome Observer

all 3 news articles »

Google News

lincolnhsbrooklyn.com ©