I sometimes feel like I have spent the first half of my life struggling to get ahead and haven’t really gotten anywhere to speak of, though I do catch myself always in a hurry. I seem to not have time to talk because I have got an endless supply of "things to do."
This persistent behavior made me really pay attention to this short story that captures a few key life truths in a nutshell:
“There was a man who disliked seeing his footprints and his shadow. He decided to escape from them and began to run, but as he ran along, more footprints appeared, while his shadow easily kept up with him. Thinking he must be going too slowly, he ran faster and faster without stopping, until he finally collapsed from exhaustion and died. If he had stood still, there would have been no footprints. If he had rested in the shade, his shadow would have disappeared.”
As we go from the story and return to our daily realities, I thought I would share some practical life tools that my exposure to Taoist philosophy has helped me learn in my quest to understand living freely.
1. Cultivate Inner Quiet.
Meditation and/or yoga can be used to help us calm our anxious minds and reduce stress.
While there is truth to that, Taoist philosophy suggests that it can do even more. Cultivating inner silence helps us to clearly see, not only what is around us, but what is inside of us as well. Consequently, it enables us to:
2. Live in the Moment.
As members of Western society, we tend to focus our lives on goal attainment or rather, on the great reward that awaits us when we get “there.”
Taoism, like many other philosophies, teaches us that most of life is made up of the long spans of time between accomplishments or goals. Our lives consist mostly of time spent on the journey. Yet, we waste most of this time struggling, striving, and clawing our way towards our goals, sacrificing our enjoyment of the journey for what amounts to a brief moment of joy when, and if, we reach our destination. Then, even if we do achieve our goal, we quickly get bored with our accomplishment and seek the next goal, and we are consigned to the misery of the manufactured life matrix, like a hamster treading in its ininite wheel to nowhere.
The Taoists seem to believe that a focus on the present moment and on “what is” will not only create inner peace and help you to enjoy your journey through life, but that it will help you to move forward in life toward your goals quite effortlessly as well. For those of us who are reluctant to let go of our goals, refusing to take our eyes off of the prize, this wisdom directly addresses that dilemma by harmonizing present and effortless living with accomplishing goals. You may question and wonder how this is possible? How does one stay centered and focused in the now while still being able to achieve? Well the Taoists say, being 'here' and 'awake' enables us to see more clearly and choose our moments in life more wisely which perhaps may drastically improve your process of getting 'there.' Next, we consider:
3. Going with the Flow.
Taoist martial arts require the ability to go with the flow, to yield rather than to resist. Advantage is gained by neutralizing the opponents force or by using it against him rather than by struggling and meeting force with force. This is often illustrated by the flow of water. When water in a stream is confronted by a rock in it’s path, it allows the rock to push it aside, thereby flowing effortlessly around it, rather than trying to plow its way through the rock. As we apply this metaphor to life and practice flowing with it, it enables us to work with and not against the currents in our lives, to get where we are going.
Taoism has much to offer in terms of living wisely, and I have only highlighted a few life tips that have resonated with me. To me, the beauty of Taoism lies in its simplicity and its applicability to everyday life. Maybe it can apply to you too.
