“How can a man’s life keep its course

If he will not let it flow?

Those who flow as life flows know

They need no other force:

They feel no wear, they feel no tear,

They need no mending, no repair.”

 [p. 71, Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life]

What can you do when you see a mountain crumbling to pieces? Or the sky falling? These examples may seem dramatic, but I know that we all have witnessed things going awry in our lives. Sometimes, those things are not happening to us directly, but they affect us just the same because they are happening to someone very close to us – someone with whom we have a deep, emotional connection. I can’t help but feel a bit sad today, even though I don’t have reason to feel this way in my life. I do believe that energy is contagious though, and can’t help but feel that I’m processing emotions I was recently surrounded by.

I’ve lived a large part of my life striving for things – i.e. to make others happy, to find solutions to problems, build consensus, ensure harmony. I’ve also always had a strong emotional acumen, so when I feel someone’s sadness, dismay or disharmony, I feel acutely empathetic and compelled to help.

In verses 11 – 20, the Tao asks us to trust Her process because the sadness and happiness we feel are a part of the general cycle of life. We are asked to trust that there’s a reason for why everything is happening, even if we can’t understand it today. Striving is a word associated with actively outputting energy – going out and taking steps to meet a goal isn’t always a bad thing. But I’m at a point in my life where I’m allowing things to happen and transform me, thus arriving to plans that the Universe has laid out for me. It is turning me into a patient, grounded, and resilient person.

We all have been in a place in our lives where we want to do more to help those around us, because we think more is better – we think that that’s how we’ll “fix” things. Sometimes, we want to help in order to alleviate the situation and put a stop to the negative emotions we are feeling. But as the Tao indicates, we need to allow emotions to run their course and recognize them as one acknowledges clouds passing in a clear, blue sky. The energy of allowing is a different and equally important vibration to immerse ourselves in because it invites us to live in the now, and provides us an opportunity to build our spiritual muscles of submission to withstand situations in life that are unpleasant with the unshakable faith that this too shall pass, and that all events are part of a grand scheme:

“Remind yourself that your Source is at work within this event, and then make a decisions to connect to that Source with your thoughts. All endings are part of the cyclical process; you’re merely returning to a life of constancy…You don’t have to learn anything new, change any behavior, or adopt any new strategies – just think about the word return, and take comfort in the ever-constant Tao, which brings peace to despair. The Tao never leaves or disappoints, and it is always impartial. Wherever you are in the emotional cycle, you’re not being judged. Rather, you’re learning to be in all phases, free of judgment and living with constancy” (p.75)

In other words, stand completely still. Allow thoughts to come and go, unaffected. Know that you are enough. You have what it takes to live a happy, abundant, fulfilling, and easy life. Lead a simple and meaningful life and don’t feel compelled to be part of the numbing rat race that most of the world is engaged in:

“You’re being encouraged to simplify your life by not seeking another thing. Yes, others might judge you as unmotivated and call you an ignoramus, but your reward will be the strong sense of inner peace that comes from a direct knowing that you’re here as a guest who’s always being provided for. Yes, you may seem to be missing something, but that something is really only an illusion. You’re no longer living inside of yourself with a desire to be someone else or to gain something that seems to be omnipresent in all those around you – you’ve traded in striving for arriving.” [p. 96]

More to come…