The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao the name that can
be named
is not the eternal name.
The Tao is both named and nameless. As nameless it is the origin of
all things;
as named is the mother of 10,000 things.
Ever desire less, on can see the mystery;
ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations
And the mystery itself is the doorway
to all understanding
Wayne always said that there are no such thing as coincidences and it was no coincidence that I decided to to study/live the first verse of the Tao-Te Ching when I did. In his essay, he recommended to “Let the world unfold without always attempting to figure it all out” and to “simply allow” as a way to live this verse. Keeping this in mind I was able to transcend some adversity that normally I would have attempted (and usually failed) to control. Instead, I let it go and observed as everything unfolded as it should. I believe the results were more positive than if I would have intervened and less stressful.
I learned that tensions and issues took longer to resolve when I “let it be” but in return, I have witnessed changes in the dynamics of my relationships that I are stronger and will last longer. Me forcing the issue and trying to resolve ASAP only created more tension and the issue usually bubbled up to he surface again and again. The process became circular and exhausting and was the norm in my relationships; both work and personal. It wasn’t working and created a lot of negative energy in my life.
Letting go and trusting the process is working for me
Does this mean that I just let something happen that should be stopped or should I just “put up” with? No, not at all but the reality is that the the people in my life don’t need me to “guide” them into doing something that I feel that should do or how to do it; especially when they haven’t asked for that help.
Just like anything, this takes practice, practice and more practice. I had to be mindful of myself everyday until it became habit. I feel the shift in my energy from practicing this one verse over the course of about three weeks. Very thankful to Lao Tzu for writing this and Wayne Dyer for bringing it into the 21st century.