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...

Good and Bad “When people see some things as good, then other things become bad.” (Lao Tzu) Interesting how that works. Give something a name, be so bold as to say that’s what it “is,” and we immediately create the “not-is” versio...

Choppy WatersIt’s an odd title for this month’s newsletter, but here’s where I want to go with it. We’ve all heard the phrase “to go with the flow.” When phrased this way, who wouldn’t want to go with it, right? For me, it conjures up...

The Master Serves As An Example“Thus the Master is content to serve as an example and not to impose her will.” (Lao Tzu) To serve as an example you have to “be” what you believe in. This is an inside job. It’s much easier to look...

Ikigai and the Tao Te ChingWhat is Ikigai, and what does it have to do with the Tao Te Ching? Good questions. This newsletter will explore them, and hopefully show their common focus on how to live our lives in harmony with the world around...

Ikigai and the Tao Te ChingWhat is Ikigai, and what does it have to do with the Tao Te Ching? Good questions. This newsletter will explore them, and hopefully show their common focus on how to live our lives in harmony with the world around...

Time To Do Nothing?“When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.” (Lao Tzu) Sounds paradoxical, doesn’t it? This is Chapter 48 of the Tao Te Ching talking about how we often see each action as a separate “thing” expected to produce a...

How can a book club use In Harmony with the Tao?People sometimes join book clubs at the start of a new year. A while ago I was invited to speak to a spiritual book club. They had selected In Harmony with the Tao as a book they were going to...