Written by Telana Simpson

When pushed, do you pull?

When pulled, do you push?

And when a force comes towards you, do you get out of the way?

This level of non-resistance is reflected in the martial arts of t’ai chi and aikido, and are the embodiment of the Law of Flexibility.

One of the presuppositions from the field of cognitive behaviour sciences is that the person who has the most flexibility will exercise the most influence in a system.

This means that if you have the most flexibility over your own behaviour and emotions (and not try to control those of others – which is impossible), you will experience that you have more choices available to you, and thus you will have the bigger impact on the situation you find yourself in.

The more choices you have, especially when communicating, will result in you being stuck less often.

In some previous posts I’ve been sharing my summaries of the Law of Action, and the Law of Intuition from Dan Millman’s book The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose.

He has a fresh way of explaining this concept of flexibility, and I summarise it here:

Law of Flexibility –

Staying flexible, I make the best use of difficulties and changing circumstances. Flexibility involves a pragmatic acceptance of – rather than a rigid resistance towards – the present moment; that is, an acceptance of myself, others and current circumstances.  It’s not passive tolerance, not ignoring injustice, not allowing myself to be victimised.

It requires an alert and expansive state of awareness, and not just “going with the flow”, but embracing and making constructive use of it. When high winds blow, I don’t just “accept” or tolerate these winds, I put up windmills!

I bend, accept and experience situations fully, while keeping in touch with the bigger picture of life, with a sense of perspective about how things are (every circumstance, whether it appears positive or negative, serves as an opportunity to strengthen my spirit). I treat the sun and rain, the heat and cold as equals.

I respond rather than resist. I treat pain as a test, and make the best use of it I can, if only to learn. When pushed, I pull; and when a force comes towards me, I get out of the way.

Everything serves my highest good if I make good use of it. Thus I can get past expectations or judgements about what is, and embrace LIFE!

Flexibility means total and unconditional acceptance and staying adaptable- thus I stay open to experiencing rather than avoiding the highs and lows. I ask:

What if I actively went with the force and made it mine? ”

This Law helps me move with life’s punches. What ideas help you?

About the Author:

Telana is a dynamic, transformational Personal Coach and Blogger who specializes in communicating and relating.  She is fascinated by consciousness evolution and goes on adventures to push her boundaries and preconceptions.  She offers coaching and training programmes to help individuals develop their ability to express themselves and their potentials and improve their relationships, and is a host of an online TV show.