4 Things We Can Learn From Waterfalls
Haha, okay. This title has me cracking up!
When I thought of it I giggled and rolled my eyes. You can’t write a title like that, it’s goofy.
Like, WTH Kristina, waterfalls are just a thing that does it’s '“waterfalling” stuff. What the heck does it have to teach?
Honestly, I think it has a lot to teach us.
Waterfalls are a force.
They are loud.
They are majestic and own their aggressive nature by making paths and moving mountains.
I am always looking for lessons in things, room for growth, yah know self development stuff! I found some in WATERFALLS y’all!
I went for the day to Mount Rainier in Washington, the state. My uncle and I headed out into nature with packed lunches and my pug in-tow.
Louie the pug <—-In his little backpack, livin’ the dream. Photo taken in Mt. Rainier.
Along the road up to the top of the mountain you pass a ton of waterfalls. Some right off the road and others you have to work for and hike a bunch to see them. Regardless of size or location everyone stops and stares when they pass them.
Have you noticed that? We all get that eye glaze and stare deep into this rushing, flowing water and lose ourselves for a hot second.
It was in that moment as I was staring deep into a waterfall, contemplating life and also what was I going to do for dinner, that it hit me!
Waterfalls are smart and they have life lessons to teach us and I should totally write about this!
So, here we are:
4 Things We Can Learn From Waterfalls
Thing 1:
Consistency
They are so damn consistent. They just fall and fall and fall.
Consistency has carved a path for them, leading them to the river, lake or ocean. They don’t give up on this consistency. Even when the storms and rain come and they get so much water it becomes hectic and chaotic. They continue to go down the path or they begin to make a new one if that path wasn’t right. But they don’t stop, they don’t pause.
As I’ve grown older (god, did I just write that sentence out, and I meant it too. Yeesh) I’ve come to realize the benefits of consistency. Work out consistently, you get healthier. Consistently connect with your friends, your friendship grows deeper. Consistency in my business, clients increase.
Through the rough-stormy-rain-coming-down patches, consistency will still be there to reward you in the end.
It’s hard.
Like, real hard.
But being the force that continues to move forward has ample rewards.
Thing 2:
You Do You
One day a shorter waterfall looked up and murmured to the taller waterfall…”hey friend, you’re a lot taller than me.” The taller waterfall glared down at the little waterfall and smugly said..”yup.”
No!
This doesn’t happen! Waterfalls don’t talk and they definitely don’t care what each other looks like or what they are even doing with their life?!
Comparing yourself to others is detrimental. Your mom was right, you are a unique snowflake and you walk through this world on your own timeline and your own path.
Some people are ahead and other behind but they can never be you and take away your uniqueness.
The other side of this coin is not to judge someone else for where they are in life. Be kind and respectful of their own journey and let them be them.
You be you.
Thing 3:
Your True Calling
I swear I have had like 47 true callings in my life already. When things feel right I am the type that goes for it. It might not turn out to be my true calling but because I went for it, I learned something and it then took me down a path to the next true calling.
Waterfalls do what is in their nature. Their true calling is to take that snow melt and bring it down from the mountain to lower valleys in a swift and efficient way. Sometimes those paths have to be changed and moved.
Mount Rainier sometimes has hill slides and a waterfall route might get damned up. Well crap, I guess the waterfall can just pack up its things and head home. Go find another mountain to be majestic on.
Heck no, that waterfall adjusts, maneuvers and finds a different path and hillside to rush and plummet off of. It continues to do what it does. It might manifest in a different form or a different spot but, regardless of the avalanches life throws at it continues on.
Thing 4:
They Die Without Help
Waterfalls can’t do their “waterfalling” all alone.
They need clouds to form at the mountain top, then the snow to fall down, then the sun to come out and melt that snow that then sends the water down to make the waterfalls.
Without all that meteorology stuff, they would dry up and die.
We also need help, support and community. You can’t do it on your own. I can’t do it on my own.
Life. Is. Hard.
When it gets difficult or even when it isn’t difficult we need to find our voices to ask for help and accept that help.
We can’t keep “waterfalling” without our support system y’all!
BONUS Thing 5:
I can’t, not say this last thing, which is a total last minute addition but it MUST BE SAID!
Do you know what waterfalls make? In all their majestic, awesome glory?
RAINBOWS, yes, rainbows.
When they are fully supported by the melting snow and that sun is shining brilliantly and their path is clear, they make beautiful things.
They make colorful, mesmerizing rainbows.
Honestly, when I am staring deep into a waterfall’s soul I’m looking for that little rainbow.
Do you see the little rainbow over my shoulder? :) Photo taken on my trek in Nepal!