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The Wisdom of Water
Retirement. A word I once thought would bring endless relaxation. I was finally devoid of the constant ringing of work phones and the never-ending cycle of obligations. I had dreams of easy mornings, cups of coffee in hand, and the luxury of time. Yet, when the moment arrived, it wasn’t as picture-perfect as I imagined. Days started to blend into one another, and the quiet I so longed for during my working years started to feel eerily loud. Wasn’t retirement supposed to be the golden era of my life?
It got me thinking, what was I missing? I reached out to friends, tried out different hobbies, and even dipped into some books that were gathering dust on my shelf. And amidst the clutter, I found a simple, ancient Chinese book: “The Tao Te Ching.” It might sound foreign and complex, but it was the exact opposite. The words on those pages felt like they were speaking directly to me.
There was this passage about water: “The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention… It is content with its nature and therefore cannot be faulted.”
I never thought I’d find answers in water, but that’s just what happened. Here are some lessons that water…