What does the water know that you don’t?

I think about water a lot. I look to it for lessons on how to be.

The Earth has been around much longer than we have. It holds a wisdom deeper than any human-made system, and lately, as so many of our systems seem to be unraveling, I’ve been paying more attention to the lessons nature has to offer.

One of the images from the Tao Te Ching that has always resonated with me is the ocean.

The rain falls, the streams flow, the rivers wind their way back home—all water eventually returns to the ocean. The land itself is shaped to guide the water back. And what does the ocean have to do to receive it?

Nothing. It just has to be.

There are so many lessons in that image, but this week, during a Black History Month presentation, I heard a song that made me think of it in a new way.

The Wisdom of the River

I heard Old Man River from Porgy and Bess, and these lyrics stood out to me:

Dere’s an ol’ man called de Mississippi

Dat’s de ol’ man dat I’d like to be!

What does he care if de world’s got troubles?

What does he care if de land ain’t free?

Ol’ man river,

Dat ol’ man river

He mus’know sumpin’

But don’t say nuthin’,

He jes’keeps rollin’

He keeps on rollin’ along.

At another time in my life, I probably would have thought, Wow, what a dick. The world has problems, and he doesn’t care?

But that’s not the message I heard this time.

Water finds a way. It moves. It adapts. It keeps rolling along, no matter what is going on around it.

Right now, it’s easy to get caught up in the story of what’s happening in the world. And I get it. It’s confusing, frustrating, even terrifying. When I let myself get tangled in the story, my energy becomes constricted. I can’t see anything but the story.

When I am like the water—when I stop fighting reality and accept where I am—I feel more grounded. My mind is clearer. I can see what needs to be done. I can recognize where I do have influence, where I can make a difference.

This is how we get through. This is how we return to the ocean.

The Storm Will Pass

I attended a concert where I heard Tony nominee Amber Iman sing “Hold On” from The Secret Garden this week, and one lyric stopped me in my tracks:

It’s the storm, not you, that’s bound to blow away.

You are stronger than you realize.

And we are stronger together.

Water teaches us that, too. A single drop can dry up, but a river? A river can carve canyons. A river can shape the land itself.

We will get through this.

United we stand. Divided we fall.

And no matter what storms come, no matter how rough the current is, the river keeps rolling along.

Finding Your Own Flow

Like the river, we don’t have to fight the current. We don’t have to have all the answers right now. But maybe there’s something to be learned from simply allowing ourselves to be in motion—trusting that we’ll find our way.

What does that look like for you? Maybe it’s checking in on a neighbor, getting involved in your community, or showing up with kindness in spaces that feel divided. Maybe it’s something entirely different. There’s no right answer—only what feels true for you.

And if you’re feeling stuck, unsure of where to go next, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why I do the work I do. Coaching isn’t about telling you what to do—it’s about helping you uncover what’s already within you, finding clarity even when things feel uncertain. If that’s something you’re curious about, I’d love to talk.

The storm will pass. The river keeps rolling. And whatever comes next, you don’t have to navigate it alone.