Life consists of process and content. Process refers to the way we do things. Content refers to what we use to execute the process and what we enter into the process. When a cook prepares a sumptuous feast, he or she will spend hours viewing, smelling, tasting, touching and as such arranging all the different ingredients - the content - that will be used to prepare the deliciously looking and tasting meal. During the actual cooking - the process - on a very precise timing and with balanced quantities, the cook will use the ingredients as and when needed. While the waiter is already on his way out to serve the meal, the cook will quickly add some parsley on top of the mashed potatoes to finish it off. Everything we do in life is a process. Cooking a meal is a process. So are drinking coffee, reading a newspaper, writing a presentation, negotiating a deal and anything else we do.
      A process is best depicted as a river. A river has a start, its source, from which it flows. At the end the river always reaches its destination. One of the largest rivers in the world, the Mekong River, has its source in the Tibetan highland plateau. From there it flows for 4,800 kilometres through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to find its destination in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam where it dissolves into the South China Sea. A river flows like it flows. Along the way it merges with other rivers or it diverges. In Phnom Penh the Mekong River is divided into two large branches that run into Vietnam. In the meanwhile natural and human elements within and outside the river influence the depth, the width, the direction, the current, the colour, the amount of oxygen, the inhabitants and other elements of the river. At no point the river will be the same, yet it will always reach its final destination, no matter what.
     Life is like a river. On the day one is born, one's river of life starts flowing. One's river of life continues to flow until one dies. This is the day one reaches one's destination. During one's life natural and human elements influence the elements of one's river of life. Despite these influences the course of one's river of life has a natural flow, a course that is meant to and which will provide for an optimal outcome. Understanding what this natural flow is and subsequently following this flow, as such living one's life simply the way it is meant while managing the elements around it, are likely two of the most difficult things in life. Doing so will however result in one reaching its destination in an optimal manner. This is referred to as the final-five-minutes check .
     In this book the 'River of Life' is discussed. The structure of the book is set up according to the extended P10 model. The P10 model incorporates all elements of a process and as such presents a process in its entirety. The two elements 'Alignment' and 'Balance' complement the P10 model.

     Each of the P10 elements discusses one angle of a human's life. All elements together discuss all angles of a human's life. Life comes with many mysteries. At the same time life comes with many facts. Understanding these facts, accepting them, for the reason that they are just the way they are, and respecting them, by living your life in harmony with them, makes living life easier.
     Besides merely discussing the elements, the book will provide a view on life as perceived by global villagers, people that see the world as their home and that live their lives accordingly. The book is meant as a mirror for all of those that live their daily lives within and according to the structures that exist in our world (e.g. continents, unions, countries, towns, villages, religions) and with the beliefs that come with living life within and according to these structures.
      The author of the book is founder and CEO of the Align Group, a group of companies that researches fundamental business improvement models and guides companies in applying them. The P10 model is one of the by the Align Group patented models. See www.align-group.com for information on the Align Group. The author requests the reader to provide any feedback on this book via this website.
     The book has been illustrated by a special "Mekong II Series" edition, consisting of twelve etchings made by Jan Montyn. See www.janmontyn.com for information on Jan Montyn.
     The author gratefully thanks Jan Montyn for providing the inspiration to write this book and for providing the etchings that illustrate the book.

Robert van Geyn
Thailand, 2004