At the time of writing this, I celebrated another birthday in recent weeks. But, there was one metaphor that stayed with me. The metaphor was along the lines of, ‘Life is Like a River’. A river is sometimes flowing fast, and, at other times, more slowly. It may also be occasionally muddy, but it will always be moving.
Rivers don’t follow a perfectly straight line. They meander, adapt, and carve out new paths as and when needed. As someone who’s lived with autism, when it comes to progress, there have been occasions when movement felt invisible. However, looking back to such moments, I was still flowing forward, just simply learning and adjusting at my own pace. And this I continue to do.
A recent experience at my local parkrun brought this insight into focus. On one recent Saturday at the time of writing this, I arrived to find the main car park full and the overflow closed due to heavy rain. One time, many years ago, I might have got agitated. I made a bold decision to drive home, and run my own 5k along my local canal. It was a quieter, but peaceful experience. There were calm waters, passing dog walkers, even other runners, along with the steady sound of my feet. It may have been different, but no less meaningful.
That simple choice reminded me. Rivers flow where they can. Sometimes, wisdom means knowing when to change course.
As I enter a new year in my life, I’m holding onto that mindset. Life doesn't need to rush or follow the perfect route. What matters is that we keep going—adjusting, growing, and staying open to where the current might lead at our own paces.
Want to hear more? I dive deeper into these reflections in my latest podcast episode in the link below.
Have any of you faced a recent detour that led somewhere unexpected? Please feel free to add your own stories of adaptation, the bends in your river, or in other words, changes in your normal routine. I'm always on the lookout for your questions and comments to respond to.
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