Shubha Apte
Reciprocal
Published in
3 min readFeb 12, 2023

--

PHOTOGRAPHY| NATURE| WEEKLY PROMPT.

The Flowing River-A Source Of Hope And Inspiration.

Nature prompt: Second week of February

The River Ganga at Rishikesh. Photo by Shubha Apte.

“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.” Emma Smith.

Sitting on the bank of the river Ganga in Rishikesh, I was lost in thoughts and was in awe of the beauty of nature and the lessons we learned from the flowing river.

It reminded me of the famous quote by Acharya Vinoba Bhave, “The river flows at its own sweet will but the flood is bound in the two banks. If it were not this bound, its freedom would be wasted.”

A river flows freely, but its flow is bound between two banks. If not so bound, the water would scatter, flow in different directions, and go to waste.

It is a reminder that while life should be lived with a sense of freedom and adventure, it is essential in life to have structures and boundaries that help us navigate the journey and make the most of the freedom.

There should be a balance between freedom and limits in life.

Kulismajoki River in Karelia, Northern Russia- Picture by Shubha Apte

River is often used as a metaphor for life. Its constant flow, ability to adapt and overcome obstacles, is an inspiration to humanity. Just as the river encounters obstacles along the way, we humans face challenges and difficulties in life which we overcome.

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.” — Jim Watkins

Kulismayoki River in Karelia -Picture by Shubha Apte

The ability of the river to create new landscape is a metaphor for the transformative power of life. We can also shape and transform our lives as we move forward.

Photo by Shubha Apte

One of the distinct features of a flowing river is its current. The force of the water moving downhill creates the current. It is influenced by the river's slope, width and depth. In some rivers, the current is so strong that it creates rapids and waterfalls. This creates spots for recreational activities like kayaking and rafting.

Photo by Shubha Apte

“Yesterday’s gone on down the river and you can’t get it back.” — Larry McMurtry

You cannot touch the same river water twice. You cannot go back to the past. Only way is to move forward. Time is also like the river, you cannot touch the same water twice.

Thankyou Sahil Patel for the beautiful nature prompt, ‘ A Flowing River Is A Sign Of Endless Hope.’

--

--

Shubha Apte
Reciprocal

A self-improvement advocate, my journey unfolds through , travel, and life experiences, and insights gained navigating the corporate world. www.shubhaapte.com