Dip into the river. Don’t empty the ocean. ~ paraphrase of an article I didn’t read
My whole life, I’ve been an enthusiastic thing. When something sparks my interest, looks fun, or seems important, my M.O. is to throw myself in.
On one hand, I quite appreciate this quality in myself. I like how it feels to be game, to be willing to try something or speak up or dance in the frozen food aisle when a good song comes on.
On the other hand, my propensity to say, “Hell Yeah,” can land me with an over-full plate, a tendency to rush, and a feeling of always missing out. (I’ve been a FOMO sufferer since I was a kid. I remember avoiding going to the bathroom for fear of missing something happening in the living room.)
Books, both fiction and non-fiction, delight me. I have a running list of recommended titles and have half a dozen holds at the library at all times (6 is as many as they’ll let me). Part of the reason I want to live longer is so I can read as many as I can.
Podcasts feed my curious brain and turn me onto work, ideas and research that nourish my intellectual side. I subscribe to a pile of podcasts and even though I listen while I’m cooking, cleaning and walking, there are always plenty that I’m missing.
And cooking! I am an avid plant-based cook and I love experimenting with and adapting recipes to see what deliciousness awaits for the next meal. I have a mini file cabinet full of recipes. I’m not joking. It is stuffed to overflowing. I will never make them all.
Music inspires and uplifts me, too. As a movement teacher, I’m always exploring new artists and looking for new music to move and live to. And there is Spotify and Amazon Music and I will never ever be able to listen to everything that is good.
Books and podcasts and music and cooking and dancing. There is so much to do and learn and explore. So much.
While watching me dive into this ocean of everything, my husband quoted an article he’d just read. He said, “Instead of trying to drink the ocean, dip into the river that’s moving past you.”
Here I am, sticking my straw into the ocean trying to suck it dry and take in all of it. Instead, what if I stand on the bank of the river of this vibrant, alive world? What if dip my hand into the flow of it all and see what is there?
Even though we can’t find the article he quoted (if you know it, please share it so I can, you know, actually read it), these words and this image relaxes my enthusiastic nervous system. Seeing myself watching the flow of all the things, and calmly dipping in to whatever is passing by helps me trust that while of course I will miss things, I will get exactly what I need.