We all have various reactions to challenges and events in our lives. How we respond may depend on how we view the world and ourselves. Each type of elemental (natural forces) response has a time and place and may be appropriate for a given situation. But being stuck in one type of elemental response may limit our flexibility and adaptability.
Please don’t take this all too seriously! This is just a fun way to take a look at how we all respond to things, based on some ideas that have roots in historical theories about human behavior.
Earth. You are grounded and have your feet firmly planted on solid beliefs and behaviors. You want things to stay the same and you plan for the long-term duration. You like to live in one place and build your nest. You hang on to things and save things for the future, whether it is old clothes or your kids’ drawings. You like others who are like you and think and act like you.
You are not very flexible and you do not like to have your stability threatened. When things get tough you dig in and wait it out.
Wind. You are very flexible. Your bags are packed and you like to travel. You don’t mind changing locations or ideas and you want to hear about new things, which you may adopt and try out. You don’t collect things because you like to travel light.
You are a bit mercurial. You try on new ideas but you are not sure if any ideas or viewpoints are correct. You do not like to take a stand on an issue and risk offending someone. You resist being predictable. You like to introduce change and inject other ideas into situations.
Fire. You are passionate and attach yourself to causes that inspire you. You are dramatic and certain about being right. You have a great deal of energy and will channel it towards your interests. You can inspire and uplift people, and your warmth can be very charming.
You are not always diplomatic about someone else’s ideas. You have difficulty understanding when others do not share your passions or see your point of view.
Water. You are the most changeable of all the elements. You are sometimes hard and cold as ice, and maybe a bit unforgiving. Sometimes you may be as sweet as a flowing stream, and sometimes you are as hard to pin down as a mist. Your friends and colleagues may not know what to expect from you, and you may not know yourself. You can be constant and consistent and wear down opposition, or you may decide on a whim to switch to a new job, project, or hobby. When you are involved in something you can move things along and your participation is valuable.
Lately, I have seen many different responses to the current restrictions imposed by the pandemic. All of the elemental types have a positive side. And they all have a negative side, too. None of these elemental responses are imposed and fixed by nature, DNA, training, or our education. Our individual reactions to life rest on how we view the world, and how we think we will better handle challenges so that we hang in there. Some will ride challenges out and others will grab the reins and harness them for a better future.
Which element is best? There is no better one. At times it is smart to dig in and plan for the long-term and be grounded. At other times it works best to be able to travel light and move out of a situation that is not working out. Passion can be a wonderful trait, as long as it allows others to have their own ideas and activities. Being able to flow is a great trait, or we may find that being as hard as ice or as light as mist is necessary.
Balance is the key to health, and it is a key to success in life, also. If you can move easily among the elemental types, and you can tolerate the same types in others, you will avoid getting stuck in a single way of doing things that may trap you or leave you behind.
Never before in our recent collective history has it been more important to stay flexible. Drugs, medicines, alcohol, and electronic media all numb us, stifling our creativity and crushing the ability to use our wits. Fear and uncertainty kill us, bodies, minds, and souls, and people can make bad decisions when afraid. A person who is mentally, emotionally, or spiritually afraid will have difficulty being healthy physically.
The people who will be able to make the best of the social disturbance and economic challenges ahead will be those who can bend like the wind, move forward passionately like fire, hold their ground like earth, and flow like water. In other words, we all need to be stable and ready for action, so we are not held back, even if we are held at home.
Let me if you had some fun with this and how I can help you to do well.