After watching a documentary and then researching salmon and how they spawn, I became highly inspired. I always thought salmon fought against the current to move from the ocean to the rivers, but in actuality, they don't. They, instead, have to figure out the best way to maneuver beneath the surface, which turns into a sort of a flow. That's the only way they'd be able to make it without tiring and dying in the process.
I believe humans can learn from salmon. Why not start to learn how to flow through life instead of battle it? The battle I see coming up the most is making things happen for ourselves. Getting a job, having a baby, getting married, making money, buying a house, having a great car and more are all part of the "things to achieve club". Many humans want these things, but battle to get them.
How do we battle? We set time lines and exact plans for ourselves and become sad, mad or angry when things don't happen according to plan. I've learned how to stop battling and start going more with the flow. About ten years ago, I created a set of plans that went something like this:
Get the house
Make the house beautiful
Have a baby
Keep teaching in a classroom
Write many books
Use my talents to help others
Travel in an RV
Be financially secure
Live happily ever after
Here's how I have figured out how to go more with the flow: While I am still working on some of the parts of my bucket list, I had to let a couple of them go for now. And I can do that because it was my own bucket list. No one else made that list for me and told me I had to do any of it. It is much easier to let go of plans when you think about it like this. When you let go of some items on your list, you give yourself more time to achieve others.
Just because you cross items off your to-do list for now, doesn't mean you have to let it go forever. Make a "loose" bucket list or "loose" set of plans/goals and let life flow instead of battling to make it all happen in a set amount of time. Battling all your plans and goals at once can tire you out. Work on a few at a time and let what you let go of to flow back to you again at another time in your life.
Remember this: If it is all meant to be, it will happen eventually. Just be patient.
Side note: Salmon also have a trick as they swim to spawn. They jump into the air. While this may help them make some extra progress, I believe they are also having fun. Because why not have some fun while you are flowing through life? Give yourself some time for fun in the midst of achieving your plans, goals and dreams!