I’ve been thinking about the phrase “path of least resistance” and how often it carries a negative connotation.
In a culture that often equates value with effort, the path of least resistance can be seen as a cop-out. In some circles, it borders on sacrilegious. We celebrate stories of struggle and grit, while ‘taking the easy route’ is often viewed with suspicion, contempt, and sometimes envy.
But when you remove this lens, you see the path of least resistance is often the most natural and efficient way of doing things. Creation tends to take the easy route.
Tree roots don’t muscle themselves through solid stone, they naturally find a crack or wind a path around.
Hawks don’t flap incessantly against the wind, they align with a current that’s moving in the direction they want to go.
The river doesn’t force itself upstream, it flows downhill, naturally moving around obstacles and into the open spaces.
Nature knows that following the path of least resistance is the simplest, most efficient way to get from point A to point B. Often the best way forward is the easiest way forward.
For us as creators (and yes, we are all creators), the path of least resistance doesn’t have to be a cop-out.
Instead, it can be a simple tool for creating what we really want to create, and growing in the direction we really want to go.