NATURAL ELEMENTS - WATER

THE VERDE WORD

This article on Water is the fourth in the series of Natural Elements and follows the same principle of displaying the use of natural elements of fire, earth, wind and water terminologies in our everyday language.

The elements are also used to promote personal thought whilst proposing an alternative philosophical viewpoint to display the relationship between natural elements and human behaviour.

From the language perspective, we use phrases such as 'it rolls like water off the ducks back', 'still waters run deep', 'being as calm as the ice on a frozen pond', 'rolling with the flow' or, 'being weak as water'.  However I believe the analogies drawn below can be used for empowerment.

Throughout our lives we may strive to survive, or achieve and tackle obstacles head on.

This can become a rather exhausting and sometimes fruitless.
No matter how hard we battle through, becoming exhausted with the effort, we sometimes get nowhere.

To go from nowhere to nowhere, with force, what is that about?
Can we achieve better outcomes by focussing on the path rather than forcing a path?
Equally important, why does everything have to be done now, immediately?
What would happen if we paused and waited?
Is it a matter of timing that dictates whether or not we are successful?

Constant striving and achieving  can be a battle unless we change our ways of being.
Why not naturally follow the nature of water?

Whilst standing at the edge of the river, we debate whether and when to cross and what route to take.

The river is more of a stream about twenty feet across, shallow with some rocks.
Do we use the rocks as stepping stones, or is it be better to simply walk through the water after pulling up our trouser legs.

Perhaps we should take off our shoes?  If we do, our feet could be cut on the sharpness of the rocks, stones and pebbles.  Then again, if we keep our shoes on, the rest of the walk will be with soggy shoes and feet.

Perhaps we should wait til the water level drops, then again, it could rise instead.  Perhaps we could progress up or downstream where the water may be more shallow and flowing less rapidly.
Regardless, whether we proceed we still have to be careful as flash floods can occur at any time even if we are half across standing on a rock.

This is life.  No matter how well prepared we are we remain subject to the whim of nature and natural elements.  We are also subject to other variables whether they be people, money, laws and regulations, friends and relatives, personal preferences and responsibilities to ourselves and others.

"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men oft go astray"

Robert Burns (1795)

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From the poem 'To a Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest  With the Plough'.

The key to handling the variables of life lay in nature and this particular example is the nature of water.

Water is life, water is the life of life.

Water has it's own flow and finds it's own level.  Rain falls onto plants and the water rivulets makes its own way via the easiest path.  Water does not stop to think and decide which way to go, whether down this leaf of that.  Water simply does what water does, it flows down and along the easiest and most natural path finally to or forming a puddle or pool that gives life to plant or animal organisms.

The puddle or pool may turn into or flow to a river.  The river water flows along naturally doing what water does, simply being what it is and what nature intended.  It flows deep, shallow, by the riverbank or mid-stream, over, around, through or under soil, sand, sticks, logs, pebbles or rocks.
Water continues the flow regardless whilst paying no heed to any forces placed upon it.

People and other animals swim in the river, buckets of water taken out, the hole formed by the bucket is immediately replaced by more water, animals and organisms imbibe the water, yet the water still remains and continues to flow.

Is it not easier to continue through our lives and our never ending events if we followed the nature of water?  There is no obstacle that water is unable to overcome, and all with it's natural flow.

Our human drama, troubles, sadness, are easier to handle if we follow the nature of water.
Instead of finding obstacles to achieve what you want in your life, be like water, simply follow your own personal flow.

Don't accept others' opinion or negative comments and thoughts, they are the same obstacle as a rock in the river, and guess what?  The river water simply flows around the rock.  The rock, the obstacle is of no consequence to the water.  Water simply keeps on flowing it's natural course regardless.

Be like the river water, follow your dream, tackle your life issues and problems like water.
Simply flow.  Because if the nature of water is followed your human life issues and problems are indeed the rock.  What happens to the rock after you (being the water) has transversed over, around or under the rock and solved your problems and achieved your dreams?

That same old rock in many centuries will still be sitting there (like your old problems and life issues), for a very very long time.  Leave it all behind,  be as the water, and flow.

Conduct your life fluidly and calmly whilst allowing your inner being to guide your path of the flow be it stepping stones, rivers, floods, beach sand and waves, rain, mist, fog, waterfalls.  Let nature be your guide.

Verde.

Extract from Robert Burns poem extracted from http://www.robertburns.org/works/75.shtml <Viewed 31st December 2013>.

NATURAL ELEMENTS - WIND

THE VERDE WORD

Wind is the subject of this week's Verdeword.  It is the third in the series on the natural elements of nature being: Fire Earth Wind and Water.

My philosophy on Wind is not about what we see, rather, what we do NOT see.  That is, cause and effect.  We do not see wind but instead we see it's effect and the effect can last forever.

Like the other elements of fire and earth, we use terminology in our everyday language.  We may use phrases such as 'winds of change', 'an ill wind blows no good', or 'being a big wind' referring to someone with the attribute of being a big talker.  We also use the analogy of bending in the wind like a tropical palm, boughs on a willow etc. meaning to be flexible.  Then we have the poetical 'winds of change' as we face our destiny.

At times we innocently say things that have an effect that is not only unseen but can also have a enormous affect on people around us.

There are times we may not realise the greatness of what we have said, nor the impact, but like the wind, it blows and flows freely whenever and wherever and it can create an unexpected impact which is so far-reaching it is almost not even imaginable.

In 1973 the United States via NASA launched it's first space station named Skylab. Skylab was used for science experiments, photography and communications.  Unfortunately Skylab was damaged during the launch and this shortened it's life and was brought back to Earth in 1979.

To decommission and dispose of Skylab, NASA's plan was to destroy Skylab by setting a trajectory into Earth's atmosphere to ensure the craft would either totally disintegrate and/or crash into the desert of Western Australia.

Naturally, both the United States and Australian Governments worked in tandem on this project in the same way as they worked together on the Lunar Landing.

As an important part of the decommissioning, the United States were to download all the data, including current and past recordings of communications stored in the on-board computers.

Because of the shape of the Earth, the downloaded data was first heard by the Australian Government telecommunications technicians who then relayed it to the United States Government (the same as the Lunar Landing [which means that Australian scientists were the first people on planet Earth to hear the famous words "The Eagle has landed"]).

As the communications data was being downloaded from Skylab, the Australian technicians found they were listening to Morse code, aircraft communications, two way radio voice messages and phone conversations to and from ships.  Often the ship and plane names and identification codes were mentioned at the beginning and end of the communications. One particular technician had a 'gut' feeling that these transmissions did not sound like normal transmissions of 'the day'.

The data download was slow and the technician decided to investigate what he was hearing. His investigations revealed that the Morse code and voice communications was from World War aircraft and other Morse code and two way radio (ship to shore) and some phone conversations came from merchant and passenger ships that were very old and no longer existed. The technician had also historic shipping records.

However, what does this have to do with wind and what we say?

Every word we say, utter, mumble, shout, sing, cry etc. keeps on going forever.  All threats, abuse, words in anger, war cries, gun shots, bomb explosions, expressions of pain, love, prayers, song, music, television commercials, the X-Factor  and that golden oldie Days of our Lives tv show all continue to exist forever as does the effect of the sound of wind.

Can you still hear in your mind the sound of the wind brushing the willow boughs at the bottom of grandmas garden when you were a kid?  It is not only a memory as the sound of the wind from those days is still circulating, it may not be heard, but it still exists in our atmosphere.

As I said before, there are times where we may not realise the impact of our words.
Remember the wind, and the science of communications, the wind blows whenever and wherever, sound does not die, it continues on for eternity.  Thus, the impact of our voice and words are so far-reaching it is almost not even imaginable.

The next time you feel like saying something judgemental, nasty or angry to get back at someone or make a speech, think carefully about your words and language because whatever you say, it will indeed last forever.

Verde.

Check out the Australian movie 'The Dish'.

NATURAL ELEMENTS - EARTH

THE VERDE WORD

Earth is the second in the series on the four natural elements of Fire, Earth, Wind and Water.

What do we mean by the word 'Earth'.  Do we mean planet Earth or the earth in which we plant our flowers and veggies or perhaps we mean the language we speak such as 'she is earthy', 'the salt of the earth', 'what on earth are you talking about', 'where the earth is he?',  or maybe being an 'earth mother', coming down to earth' or even 'Mars, this is Earth calling, are you receiving me? Over'.

In this article, the use of the word 'Earth' has two themes.  The first is on planet Earth and the second is on the earth, or soil we walk upon and sow plants.

As with the first element of fire, earth has many uses besides being used in our common language vernacular to refer to people and other animals and their behaviour.

In line with the previous article on Natural Elements - Fire, this is a brief description of what earth is, does and, demonstrates how we can use the same natural earth behaviour to adapt our human behaviour to improve our life, health and well being.

But first, we hark back to Fire and volcanoes.  Magma is forced above ground and the name becomes Lava, same stuff, different name. From lava to rocks that finally fall apart and becomes soil, or earth.

On the surface of our planet, rocks are slowly pressured by winds and minuscule pieces of grit are loosened and spread across the land.  Following, those individual pieces of grit may end up helping to form deserts, mountains and even make a contribution to the floor of lakes and oceans.

Change happens naturally and as nature intends.  Everything adapts to constant change which is often driven by other things.  For example, the aforementioned grit is blown from a rock, it may land in a lake.  The lake dries up, sand dunes form, deserts form and towns are covered over.  Besides that, a rock has vanished, or, changed form. It only takes one small change to have a domino effect.

Land or undersea earthquakes happen regularly and each time there is even a small tremor the earth moves.  Our planet is in a constant state of change.  We know that continents, islands and lands on our planet are not at the same location they were millions and billions of years ago.

Think about this.  Where would the American, African, Australian, the Arctic and Antarctic continents be and what physical condition would they be if they had not moved and rolled with the natural flow and movements of the Earth?  Would they be at the bottom of the ocean, or perhaps be covered by other land masses because they did not move whilst other natural cataclysmic events overtook them?  

However, the continents and land masses did roll with the flow.  Whether it was because of volcanic eruption, earthquakes or whatever, they simply allowed nature to form them into whatever and wherever they are supposed to be.

Not only is our planet in a state of change but the whole universe is as well because it is continually expanding.  Everything is constantly on the move whether it be in sub-atomic form or much larger.  In billions of years, the map our planet will be unrecognisable because of these constant changes regardless of the size.

We humans are constructed of the same stuff as the rest of the planet, water, minerals, chemicals and, neutrons, protons and electrons.  Therefore, as our planet, our individual human lives continue and very slowly we change.  Wrinkles appear, our body shape changes, our hair turns grey and we tend to shrink.  Even our mental attitudes alter. These things will happen as surely as the earth is in a constant state of change as well.   This is how life is, ever changing.

So what does this mean to you?  

Because everything is in a state of change, the trick to survival is physical and mental adaptability.

If we take heed from our planet and nature, there will be less of a battle for our personal psychological health if we do as nature does and adapt to change and let things happen, naturally.

Forget the dramas of last year's holiday celebratory period, snow, ice, traffic, flights grounded, accidents, deaths, family arguments, disappointments with gifts, food 'not quite right'  etc.

Accept it, forget it and move on.  All things will be different tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.  I guarantee it.  Why?  Because like our planet and nature, people change.  They change their minds, their likes and dislikes during a day far more often than they change their underwear. 

Life without change can be so darned boring, would you like to live today exactly the same tomorrow, the day after, the day after that, and the day after that...again and again and again?

Look at the tree outside, the leaves are facing a different direction, look at the cat...another rich long whisker, look at the baby...the smile is becoming wider, look at the ocean, gosh wasn't it a different shade a few minutes ago?  Look at the veggie patch soil, is it lighter than it was this morning?

Who put that ding in my car?  "Johnny!!!!!!!!  You used my car last!!!! That ding was not there yesterday!!!!!"   "You want me to relish the change to the shape of my car?????" I hear you say.  "Ok, but I would also relish the shape being changed again to how it was before you drove it"  (So sayeth Mum).

Take time to see things slowly change, enjoy it because in change, what you see now, you will never see again.  Why?  Because everything, absolutely everything in the universe is constantly changing!  In order to survive, we need to open our minds and become adaptable to anything that comes along or, stay stuck in the present.

Look at it this way, if nothing changed, our body would never die and we live forever with each day the same as today.  Forever!!!!!!!!

Like, how many times can you wake up on the 9th December 2013 and live the same day over, for ever!!!!  No way Jose!  Welcome change.  Love change, relish each and every moment, hour, day, week month and year being different!

To welcome and adapt to change, this is how we learn, develop and grow.  The added bonus is we increase our spirituality.  When the time comes and we leave this physical life and go onto another as a better person, there is change in that re-newness of life.  Change is exciting!

Is it preferable to have an eternal life or an infernal life where everything stays the same?

Enjoy each and every moment, every instant of your life.  Adaptability, is the key.  Be prepared to embrace change and be prepared to reap the rewards.

So Says...

VERDE

NATURAL ELEMENTS - FIRE

THE VERDE WORD

This week is a short and light contemplation on Fire.

The following three weeks will be focused on Earth, Wind and Water.

 As well as discussing the importance of the four elements equally we are able to use them to help shape our personal philosophy for guidance and behaviour.

As I have been saying over these past few months, all things in the universe originate from one source.  Thus, all things in the universe are linked to everything else as are the four elements.

When we think of fire we may think about volcanoes, wildfires, barbecues, house fires, firework celebrations, lava, cigars, prehistoric mans’ discovery of fire and even, camping.  Many things and associations come to light. (no pun intended).

Our sphere, the rock third from the sun, Planet Earth, could not and would not be alive without fire.  Without the sun, the earth and all living things we would not exist in our current  form.

Magma at the core of our earth is molten earth consisting of rock, semi-melted rock, chemicals and solids.  No matter how scientifically fantastic it is, I find it difficult to imagine rocks melting, but they do.  Molten rock in the core of the Earth is called magma.  After it has emerged or flowed from a volcano it is called lava. Same thing but different names in different circumstances.

Lava may emerge on the surface of the earth or undersea though volcanic vents and flows as liquid rock while solidifying.  It is a cycle, from solid rock to molten rock to solid rock again.  Life for everything is circular, we come and go, are born and die and are born again.  Thus it is with the cycle of life, rocks and lava.  Over millions of years soil on the surface sinks, becomes rock then magma and over time it re-emerges as lava and then solidifies into rock again.

Lava flows down through mountains and forests, across fields and towns whilst the liquid carpet destroys or buries everything in its path.

(I find this photo (#) of a lava flow at Pahoehoe in Hawaii particularly interesting.  I can see the movement and the dark streaks remind me of human veins and skin.  It looks alive. Awesomely beautiful.)

Because so much molten rock is spewed from a volcano and the lava can flow long distances, hills and mountains may change shape, rivers disappear and new ones appear and coastlines and the seabed can change shape, grow and move. Fire is an element that constantly changes the shape of our earth.

Lava soil is very rich in nutrients that are excellent for growing crops.  Thus, although the erupting volcano and lava has created much damage both human and geological, they have a very important role in the form and shaping of our planet.  I ask the question, what would Planet Earth be like without historic or current day volcanic eruptions?

It is common to use fire in language such as; 'he is a hot head', 'firebrand', 'it is hot as hades', ‘he/she is hot', ‘it is hot' (stolen) etc.  However, the language of fire and heat can also be transposed to our moods and our behaviour.

If we are in a rage, feeling heated about things, furious as hell or, often when upset our skin may turn red etc., all these feelings inside may be related to heat and fire.

When we lose our temper and verbally explode ejaculating unexpected and offensive language in a rage of a temper lost, is it better to vent our feelings so others know we feel, or keep it in? 

Perhaps more can be achieved by expressing ourselves calmly and rationally however that is sometimes not so easy to do.

If we are feeling angry and the body feels hot, we are able to turn our mind to calmness by thinking of cool things such as being as calm as ice on a frozen pond, the stream meandering along in a shaded glen or the trees quietly wafting on the breeze. 

Alternatively, if we are losing control of our anger, and are upset and becoming hot under the collar it can ease our minds by feeling the metaphorical cool ice soothing our neck or the breeze brushing our skin.  By concentrating on things that are cool can take the heat out of the situation.

Conclusion.

Whether it be volcanic eruptions, or a human rage, after a while, the eruption and rage dissipates.  Eruption and rage always ends and life continues on.  We all learn lessons from eruptions of any kind and those lessons generally provide us with a better understanding of our planet and people.  Following, we are better able to manage the situation next time.

As I say, life is a cycle, born die and be born again, the same is with volcanoes and us, we erupt calm down and learn.  Moral of the story?  Calm down, chill out.

VERDE

Folks, a very dear friend, also a philosopher, has contributed additional thoughts which takes the above idea further forward.  Although the path can be painful, it also leads to enlightenment and a beautiful renewed life conclusion. You will enjoy her thoughts and words.



ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION FROM A FELLOW PHILOSOPHER

"There is another physical and emotional connection I find obvious and fascinating- what you describe here is also clearly a life cycle of a relationship...melted rock- magma- lava- hardened rock...at the end - changes: scars inside and out...icy cold rocks- and a new rebirth-spring crocus or a prickly cactus emerge out of a hardened lava...both are planted solid to stay until the earth moves again and rocks melt".

© Anonymous Fellow Philosopher - April 2014.

# Photo obtained from Wikipedia (2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magma (Viewed 2nd December 2014)