What we can learn from a nursery rhyme
Having read over 350 books on personal development, I have had the pleasure of hearing some of the greatest stories ever told. The authors that I have studied, all have a unique style and something special to bring to their readers, but one particularly gifted author and speaker; is Dr Wayne Dyer.
In one of his books, I read a story that Dr Dyer wrote, that moved me so much, that I paraphrased it, in my book “The no B.S approach to Create the life you want”. Dr Wayne Dyer gives a wonderful example of how life should be lived, by using the old children’s nursery-rhyme, “Row, row, row your boat”. I’m not sure if this is something that he came up with himself (highly possible), or if he himself was paraphrasing. Either way, it really does explain, how to live a happy life.
The first verse of the song, which we all know so well, goes like this:
“Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream”
“Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream”
If we take the lyrics and break them down, there are some clues, as to how to live a happy life.
“Row, row, row your boat” – The song doesn’t say “row someone else’s boat”. It says row “your boat”. Stop trying to live your life on someone else’s terms, or the way that they live theirs. Do what you want to do and live how you were meant to live.
“Gently” – There is no mention in the song, of rowing your boat forcefully or aggressively. Row your boat “gently” and peacefully. There is no rush. There is no finish line in life. We are all living on different time frames, so if someone gets a pay rise before you, buys a house that’s bigger than yours, or gets a better body faster; that’s ok. There is no need to compete with people who are running different races. It’s like having a scientist and a body builder compare themselves to each other. You are rowing your own boat, at your own pace.
“Down the stream” – I personally couldn’t think of anything more stupid, than trying to row up stream and wondering why I am getting nowhere. As Tony Robbins says, “It’s like running east, looking for a sunset. No matter how fast you run, it is not going to happen.” Life is not meant to be so hard. If you believe that it is, then that is why it is. Let the river of life take you to where you are meant to go. Yes, you can negotiate obstacles along the way, but stop trying to battle against the currents. Go with the flow.
“Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily” – Most importantly, enjoy the ride. Embrace every moment. Be grateful for everything that you experience. The more grateful you are, the more things to be grateful for, that will show up. When you’re happy, happy things, events and people present themselves to you.
Finally; “Life is but a dream” – Everything that is in your external world, began in your internal world. Everything that you have in your life, is a result of what was once just a dream. Dream big and dream often. Dream of everything that you desire, then watch those dreams manifest into reality, (with a few other keys, that I share in my book “The no B.S approach to Create the life you want.”
