The above quote from the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu, fascinates me.
What? Why? It doesn’t make any sense!
Paradox (n): a seemingly contradictory or absurd statement that expresses a possible truth.
Consider this:
The heart does not try to perform the job of the lungs. The sun does not attempt to shine during the night. Autumn leaves die and fall to the ground to feed the soil beneath them. Tulips do not attempt to grow in a New England winter. A cat does not try to be a dog.
They do nothing, (not more than they need) yet nothing is left undone (as it is done by another).
It’s what Deepak Chopra calls, The Law of Least Effort – the Fourth Spiritual Law of Success. Nature’s intelligence functions with effortless ease.
I interpret this concept as using the least amount of energy necessary to achieve a desired result.
We, as humans, busy ourselves with useless actions. We may try to accomplish too much, or please too many people. We blast our agendas on others and force feed them mis-rememberances or lies to convince them we are right, and they are wrong (thinking politics & religion here), we vehemently defend our positions and fail to consider another point of view. We overbook meetings, forget appointments, and generate our own chaos. We say, “Yes” too often and don’t say, “No” frequently enough.
Hopefully, you get the idea. And then, we break down and this dis-ease manifests in many different ways.
So, I encourage you to give yourself permission to rest, recover, be quiet, embrace boredom, think before reacting, and rejuvenate.
In discarding the noisy clutter in our lives, we create open spaces to store valuable memories, life-changing experiences, and the precious gifts we have received.
For years, if not decades, I have failed at sticking to a routine no matter if it involved something I love doing or not.
So, I stopped trying to be accomplished. Now, I am much healthier and happier living as-is. Nothing more. Nothing less. I do a lot of nothing.
Now, don’t get this confused with being lazy or slothful.
I exercise when my body tells me to. I pray when my spirit tells me to. I cry and laugh when my emotions need it. I read and write when I need to. I speak and teach when someone needs me. I quiet myself and listen when I need to learn.
I am accomplishing so much more, and I am being given more unique gifts than I could ever have dreamed.
Give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Be Kind. Be Thankful. Be Significant.
Peter
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