I've always struggled to become the kind of person who has a routine, someone who does the same things every day over and over again. I had, and still occasionally have, fears of watching my life flow by without changing something, without moving the current of the river. Or at least having the illusion of doing so.
But a few years ago, Atomic Habits changed my whole perspective. If you've read it already, you may understand what I mean. If you haven't, but are struggling to remove certain bad habits or acquire new ones, it’s a fantastic guide to help you build systems that lead you toward your goals.
Having habits feels amazing now, even this newsletter comes from a writing habit that grew into something more. And habits work great when they're done in the same environment. Like, again, with writing: having the same hot drink, the same view, the same music quickly puts me in the mood. I could sit without any idea of what to write, but the whole setting pushes me to start and keep writing for hours.
The main challenge comes when you move or something in your life changes. Our bodies need to adapt, we perform less, and we might end up doing things we’ve never done before, or things we tried to avoid in the past. And this brings instability.
In these moments of change, it's easy to feel lost, to complain about what surrounds us. We don’t enjoy the person we are becoming. We may start to hate the place, or the people around us.
But in the end, nothing really changes, it's our ability to adapt that must rise to meet the moment.
All of this reminded me of the Selva Inundada in the Amazonas. A place I was lucky to discover in May this year, and it helped me move through changing times.
In the Amazonas, there aren’t seasons in the way we think of them, but rather two periods or épocas: the dry season and the rainy season. That’s it.
What inspired me most is this incredible forest that, during the rainy season, fills with water. Locals move around by boat between villages, pink dolphins jump in the muddy water for months, and piranhas fill the river and the people’s bellies. And when the dry season arrives, every drop of water disappears, and the only thing left to admire are the roots of these magnificent forest trees. Visiting the place in these two seasons feels like visiting two entirely different worlds.
I love to compare our lives to these trees.
Trees need to adapt quickly, growing long roots during the dry season and letting them go when the rains come. They need to move, seeking better spots to capture the sun or rising higher to intercept moisture. But despite all these changes, they remain true to who they are.
And so do we.
We might undergo seasons of change, whether at work, in our relationships, in a new city, or with a new activity we just started. Change is never easy. But if we understand that adaptation is a part of life for every living creature, we might feel less alone in our own path.
I liked concluding the past episode with a quote, so here you go with another one for today’s one.
"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them. Let reality be reality." -Lao Tzu (attributed)
Until the next one,
Much love.
F
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