Become the Unsoiled Swan

When the swan swims throughout the pond water and comes ashore, it is not soiled by the water. It’s untainted, fresh, and goes about the day — peacefully and gracefully. You, too, can be like the unsoiled swan — never tainted by the water, no matter how murky it may seem at times throughout your life. Totally unaffected, in any serious way, by life’s ups and downs.

As a human being you will invariably run into what one would call “negative” forces, negative situations and experiences. Especially since we all have ideas to share. But ideas or not, negativity will be experienced. This is inescapable.

For now, we’ll take a look at this concept by using the theme of “sharing your ideas” for our context as many of you are entrepreneurial at spirit and speaking about ideas is commonplace. Let’s take, for instance, the occasional “I hate your idea!” statement that we’ve all endured or will endure at one point. What do you do when someone literally comes at you with “hate”? Do you respond with hate? Do you get angry and fire back with all your might, undoubtedly fueled by your ego? Most people do just that: futilely respond with hate. Why? Because they feel they feel that they have been soiled. They have become the swan who turns around and sees (the illusion) of a soiled behind.

The Interdependence of Good and Bad

When we’re faced with negativity we’d do well to remember that without negativity there can be do positivity, no good. Without good, there can be no negativity. They aren’t “opposites” as one may assume. They are “polar opposites.” Each connected and inter-depending on the other.

Think of “good” and “bad” as opposing buds on each end of a branch. Now, if you chop off the “bad” bud, the “good” bud will still blossom because you never really killed the “bad” bud. That was just an illusion. The bad end of the branch, in time, will regenerate a new bad bud which will blossom. The entire branch still goes on living. Just as one can chop off the negative pole of a magnet and the negative poles will still exist, albeit it will be a shorter pole. We can never — ever, ever — get rid of the negative force.

If we can understand and accept that this is all just a trick, an illusion… oh, how clear things would all of a sudden become. When someone “ruins” your day with an awful comment. When that big deal falls through and you lose the client. When you fall down and cut your knee. When society condemns you for being entrepreneurial instead of conforming to the ways of Corporate America. All of these things aren’t “bad,” just as they aren’t “good.”

The only time they become “bad” is when we allow them to soil us. To soil our spirits. But they can never soil us, because the water is always pure and clean. Hence, the illusory nature of our understanding of good and bad.

We Continue Swimming On

So with understanding, we do as the swan does and eventually go back in the water and get back to swimming; because that’s what we do. We continue on. When you are faced with difficulties, soil on your back, understand them for what they really are — mere illusions. And don’t let them hold you back and keep you ashore.

Know that the forces of “good and bad,” “up and down,” “in and out,” etc. are simply natural processes of life and that they need each other. Maintain your grace and peace. Get back swimming in the water of life. With this understanding, you can NEVER be soiled.

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