The River of Life

A Journey of Life Experiences

Is Life Just a River 
Meandering Through Time? 

Or, is Time the River and Life is the various vessels upon which we each float while navigating The River's many twists and turns and changes in tempo? Could that be one of life's existential (and unanswerable) questions ... right up there with "What is The Meaning of Life Itself?" ... or the less dramatic, "Which Came First ... The Chicken or The Egg"? Regardless of in which camp you choose to pitch your tent, Life is a journey upon which we all embark the moment we are brought into this world.

 ... and "The River" - well, it's been flowing since long before any of us got here and it will be flowing long after we're all gone. So, for the fundamental philosophical principles discussed throughout this website we assume the analogous position that "Life" is The River and it represents each of our individual journeys through our time here on earth.

Many people go down to the banks of The River of Life and put in with their canoe or a kayak and then begin paddling furiously against the current trying to make some headway. Eventually though, their need to rest, (eat, sleep, or otherwise take a break) will allow the current to overtake them and they will most likely lose the headway they had previously gained. We're not saying you should not strive to succeed and try to improve yourself through some hard work, but life is a whole lot more enjoyable and far less stressful when you just toss an inner tube into the water and take along one oar for minor navigational purposes and go for the ride of your life. You will still get to make choices and decisions and take positive steps toward that better life as you encounter the many forks you will come to on your travels down The River of Life, but it sure beats fighting the current in a futile attempt to get ahead.

Think now for a moment about a river's course and you'll recognize that just as water seeks its own level, the river will naturally flow down the path of least resistance on its journey following the law of gravity. That's why rivers twist and turn and occasionally split into two or more forks. Rivers also have changes in tempo as the topography of the terrain through which they flow may change, and sometimes quite rapidly, from a gentle slope and a soft meandering current to a steep descent causing white water rapids and very dangerous and tumultuous conditions. Have you ever noticed that the flow of your own life can sometimes follow very similar patterns?

So, Life is the River and how you choose to navigate its ever-changing tempo and endless choices of which fork to take will determine the course of your own journey through this life you have been given.

Along your journey you will come upon those numerous forks in The River and be presented with many opportunities to choose to go right or to go left. Some of those forks are simple choices, like what to have for lunch or what color shirt to wear that day. While others are more important decisions, like where to go to college or whether or not to buy that house or get married. But every fork, big and small, is just another event and another decision to be made along The River of Life. Every choice, every decision, and every action you ever make has rewards or consequences. Some are obviously either a right or a wrong alternative, but many “forks” will not clearly illustrate whether their choice will bring a reward or a consequence until after you’ve embarked in that direction. Some mistakes and failures might be more sensational than others, but if you believe that every mistake and every failure is just another opportunity to learn, then it follows that there is never a “wrong” decision on The River of Life. Although some choices will set us back or knock us off track, there will always be another fork in The River and another chance to get things straight again. We all may diverge on a fork on The River of Life that takes us in a direction we never intended or even wanted to go, but our root character and core structure will always provide us the opportunity to get straight again and redirect back onto the path God intended our lives to progress.

So take life’s experiences head on with your eyes, your ears and your heart wide open and be ready to glean Wisdom from every opportunity. And remember also that you’ll occasionally stumble along the way. But it is from those sporadic falls that you’ll learn the best and grow the most.

As you click through and read the pages of The River of Life you’ll discover content on all kinds of topics. You’ll find some great examples of life experiences and stories to help illustrate the points and we encourage you to share your input as well. Since philosophies of life are highly subjective by nature your submissions can help to expand the experience everyone will have while surfing the pages of this site, so we encourage you to share your thoughts, ideas, and learned lessons. Let us all know what you think and open us all up to new experiences and views on the wisdoms of life.

Start with the About This Site page to learn more about why we built this site and then use the Contact Us page if you’d like to drop us a confidential line. Otherwise, the comment boxes and submission forms are the places to add your own content to the site. Every submission is carefully reviewed to maintain the integrity of the site. But if your submission is honest and clean you will be given full credit for its content. Your comments on other’s submissions will appear on those pages and your original material contributions will be given their own page(s) on the site with a direct link to it from the page where you made your submission.

Many of the thoughts and philosophies in the pages of The River of Life overlap and tie into one another so it could be considered its own small Universe of Knowledge – (click that link to better understand what we mean by that concept). We have made every effort to keep all affiliated sections together and create links back and forth where appropriate, but make sure to look around so you can see how it all ties together.

Thanks for visiting The River of Life and have some fun while you're here.

Continue Your Journey on the About This Site Page

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