Consider a piece of wood taken from a tree. When you cut it and carve it, there are several ways that you can go. The wood has a natural pattern that is called the grain. It is a template put there by nature to allow for a smooth flow in the contour of the wood. When you cut against the grain, then you might find it more difficult to work with. In life, there are patterns and grains that we can follow. When we cut across them, it often leads to difficulty as it does with working a piece of wood.