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You cannot step into the same river twice.

- Greek Philosopher Heraclitus

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This was a quote that I attributed to my father over these many decades as it was a quote he shared with me from time to time as a youth.  As a Nature enthusiast and a hiker, I simply assumed he meant that once you stepped into that river, you subtlely changed it by your presence; hence, the importance of "leave no trace."

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And while that assumption may very well be true, I gradually have become more aware over of these past years that this particular quote encompasses a much wider perspective on Life.

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When we look at a river, we see a single entity that has always been there and always will. A river seems to be almost symbolic of something that does not change.  But, as Heraclitus stated, it really isn’t possible to say that the river remains the same.  The river is constantly changing and is, in effect, not the same river.

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If you step in a river, you are stepping in a specific bit of water.  If you withdraw your foot and step in it again, you are stepping in a different bit of water.  Just by stepping in the river, you have changed it.  You have altered the course of the water a little bit and eroded the river bed a little bit.  Combined with your personal impact, the river is always changing and therefore, it is never the same.  

 

We can look at people and Life experiences in the same manner.  We may seem to be the same person today that we were last week, but we have been changed in some subtle (and powerful) ways by our experiences.

 

Because everything changes with time, things are never exactly the same when you revisit them.  As many have quoted further, "No person ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he/she is not the same person."  My friend, we can't go back to revisit yesterday as it was, no more than we can experience the same vacation spot in the same manner we previously did.  And ultimately, would we want to?

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For better or worse, because of your engagement with others and with Life experiences, today for each of us is a different day, we are a different person, with a different outlook.  As well, as Garth Brooks states,

Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide.

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Stay on your shoreline of Life and choose not to actively and positively engage your life... and the river, Life in general, continues on and changes without you.  

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My friend, today promise yourself to dabble your feet in the waters of your daily life.  Alter the currents ever so slightly in a positive way when you engage with others or embrace a new idea or concept.  In fact, take the risk to fully immerse yourself in your present moments - plunge in, waisthigh... because when today's currents have gone downstream in Life, you can't revisit them... because you have changed everything... and hopefully for the better.