Be like the Buoy!

and merrily bob along :-)

I love the idea of buoyancy, the reality of buoyancy. It is such a beautiful concept when applied to creativity; a kind of creative flow that floats on the surface of life. And when thinking deeper, bigger, we can talk about a life that floats on the surface, in which one’s Self is fully and authentically experienced and expressed, rather than hidden and suppressed.

There is something so magical about buoyancy, about the ability for something to float on liquid (not that that’s what I’m doing in the photo above!). A real lightness though! We were on a train a couple weeks ago headed into the city for an outing with Gyān and Teja and two of their best friends, and as we zoomed past the Fremantle port one of them asked me, “how is it possible that these massive container freight ships, giant hunks of steel and iron, are able to effortless float on the surface of the water?”

SUCH A GOOD QUESTION.

And, sure, we could and will as a follow-up research the science and engineering of it together, but in that instant of bubbling curiosity, as an immediate response I chose to take that moment with the kids to marvel in the sheer awe of what nature is capable of. Whether we talk about human nature or nature nature, it doesn’t matter, ultimately it’s one and the same.

That awe, to me, holds within it the fullness of buoyancy; a creative force of nature that is unbounded in capability, and that brings magic from the depth to the surface of life for all to enjoy. Buoyancy weaves together in an integrated flow, what is beneath with what is above; what is beyond with what is in front, what is within with what is without.

Buoyancy is balance of life, tying together the silence and the dynamism, the waves with the stillness, the change with that which never changes.

I only have to gaze at a buoy floating merrily out at sea, bobbing away, to feel a sense of quiet and evenness in myself. And for me, when I trust my heart and follow my bliss, the flow of life becomes more and more buoyant, where deep breaths are easy, and expansive creation, spontaneous.

So I guess my message to myself today, and hopefully resonant to you, is: let yourself bob along like a buoy. Life will keep you afloat, even when things feel immensely challenging. Because that’s the other thing about buoyancy, even when you fight against it (which ultimately is what we are doing to create all our suffering, self-sabotage etc…), it will win out in the end because it is ever-present and balance must always be maintained. This reminds me of those cheeky childhood toys, you know the blow-up clowns or other characters that are heavy at the bottom and so you can hit and kick and knock them over but they just keep popping back up again.

Life is like this. Life is buoyant, always. And when we open ourselves up to that natural law of buoyancy, that truth, when we experience that within ourselves, then an even flow as we merrily bob along, is the result.

In my own creative process when writing, I find this element of buoyancy so potent and relevant. Creation is an ever-ongoing process, and when we try to stop that flow or freeze some creation in time, we come up against frustration and blockage and stagnation. We can not stop creation. It is eternally occurring, a circle of creation, maintenance, and destruction. And so as I write, I need to remind myself to just keep creating without feeling bound, through the need for perfection or otherwise, to any one single creation.

Seek not for perfection
but for flow
for in flow
you will find perfection,
everywhere.

This is the truth as I have experienced it, and so learning to flow with creation is absolutely critical to a flourishing, buoyant life. No resistance, just openness and welcome to what life has in store for me. It is all process. All of it. And the only Absolute, is what lies beneath and within all of that change. Ever-change, eternal change, infinite change is the only constant. This is the current of life which unites together the innumerable waves of expression to support our quest of buoyantly bobbing along!

SO be bold, be true to your Self, follow your heart and let yourself be like that playful clown, always popping back up to see what is in store next. Hopefully it’s not another kick to the face, but hey if it is, rest assured that you will bob right back up again!

Life is about play not about stay. So keep going and remember to share the journey with all that you love. Expand your heart and keep boundaries fluid in flowing creation. Remember, buoyancy is present in every moment.

With gratitude, and until next time,

May you merrily bob along!

Adam