Growth Starts Where Comfort EndsThere’s no comfort if everything keeps changing all the time. Why not? Because we get no chance to get used to anything. We may not even get a chance to figure out if we like things or not before they ch...

Audiobook released!I know my emails are usually a monthly newsletter. This one is different. I do hope you don't mind.I want to share the exciting news that my book In Harmony with the Tao: A Guided Journey into the Tao Te Ching has just been release...

Why Does Desire Cause Trouble?“When there is no desire, all things are at peace.” (Lao Tzu) Does that mean we can’t desire for all things to be at peace? Why not? Seems like a noble cause; worth a desire or two. The trouble i...

Did Lao Tzu Meet Confucius?This newsletter is going to be a bit factual. It’s the result of trying to answer a question I’ve wondered about from time to time. Lao Tzu and Confucius are two giants of Chinese philosophy and their lifespans ov...

What Is Eternally Real?“The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. The unnamable is the eternally real.” (Lao Tzu) Things come and go. We wonder what is eternally real. The answer is none of the things that come and...

What’s Worth Worrying About?Nothing. Well, that’s a short answer—and not a very useful one. So let’s open it up a bit. Most of us would agree we spend a certain amount of time worrying. The question is: Is it worth it? And, g...

The Center of the Circle“The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle.” (Lao Tzu) Imagine our thoughts and desires as being at the edge of a...

Why Is It So Hard to Let Go?We sometimes hear the advice “Don’t stress out—just let it go.” But how often do we find that helpful? If we’re truly stressing out, then we likely don’t find it very helpful at all. Why not? Because it...

Water Does Not Try“The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to.” (Lao Tzu) Water has no desire. It is not “trying” to nourish anything. It just does what it does. Similarly the Tao simply is w...

Lao Tzu and MichelangeloYou don’t often see those two names paired together, do you? So what am I doing putting them side by side? Good question. The answer is because of a quote attributed to Michelangelo which you may have heard.&nbs...