"Be Like Water": On Integration and Going Home
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025 10:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)

"Be like water."
This is something that Bruce Lee once said... But what does that mean, to be like water? Well... I myself could not discern that for the longest time. I looked at it the same as I looked at the phrase "Go with the flow." A nice sentiment, yes, but something that ultimately meant nothing in the end... That was my surface-level understanding of being like water, anyways. But over time, I started to see this concept much deeper. As I did some research into different religions and philosophies, I discovered the concept of "wu-wei," otherwise known as "non-action" or "effortless action." To put it simply, this Daoist concept suggests that we not swim against the current of life, but instead flow in the direction of the water, being flexible and practicing patience, among other things.
This is a concept that, long before I was aware of the name for it, I had been using to work with my parts. I first saw my parts as enemies to be defeated and fought if I were to ever "free" myself from the chains of my past, but no... that was never the case. As I got to know them more, I realized that they were all hurting parts, and even when they'd act in ways that were harmful, it was always with the intention of keeping us safe in the end.. As such, I do have to thank my parts for their assistance throughout my life, but now that I'm no longer in a bad situation, I've been able to work with my parts more effectively than ever. And major shifts began to happen on June 26th. Long story short, there have been integrations happening left and right in my system and parts have been sharing their experiences and perceptions freely. As a result, I feel more "me" than I ever have before. And this time, it feels like the fusions may be permanent.
One of the concepts I had of my parts in the early days was that they were like "ghosts." And the legend goes that ghosts exist on earth because they have "unfinished business." Well.. with all these integrations happening, it feels like their unfinished business has gotten resolved. So, with these integrations, they're becoming a part of the greater whole, yes, but at the same time, I envision these parts of me "going back home." Where "home" is, I'm not entirely sure.. But they do say that home is where the heart is, so maybe they shall go there. I'm unsure.. but all that I do know for sure is that these beautiful manifestations of me are FREE. And that's all I could have hoped to ask for.