To quote Lao Tzu “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

One of the great characteristics of water is that it handles all obstacles with the greatest of

ease as it flows toward its destination. Water can adapt to any direction and also, it is not

limited to its one form — it can also be steam or ice, thereby offering even more versatility

in various applications. Just like water, Lao Tzu says, we can also be in harmony with the natural

flow of the Tao, the way of the universe. For Lao Tzu, one of the secrets of being in harmony

with Tao is to accept that living means to be in constant change. Life is like a story book,

it consists of several chapters, each bringing us different lessons and experiences. Unfortunately,

our life is also governed by inertia, which makes us fixate on the previous chapter and makes it

very difficult to move on from one chapter to the next. We are indeed creatures of habit, allergic

to change and instability. We tend to face change with dread and aversion, instead of looking at it

as something positive. But, as Lao Tzu said, we need to let go of what we were, in order to

transform ourselves into what we might become.

If you’ve lived in the same country for your entire life, for instance, and suddenly get

a job offer that can boost your professional success, but that also means emigrating, it is

entirely natural for there to be a part of you reluctant to take the opportunity. You’re going

to want to remain in the warm comfort of your own country, spending time with the same friends and

acquaintances, going to the same restaurants and coffee shops, and having the same experiences.

Or, for example, if you break

up with your partner you can experience a great sadness, a period of grief which is very difficult

to recover from. You may find it difficult to look for another partner or even to get

out of the house and meet with your friends. This behavioral tendency tends to block our vision of

things in the long term. It is a sort of emotional myopia that impedes us from seeing how great

things can be if we are just willing to turn the page to the next chapter. It is only by breaking

out of the chains of our current circumstances that we can unleash the potential for growth.