The Art of Living
Tao Te Tuesday
Reading time: 4 minutes
Commentary
And THAT is the art of living. That’s it. If these 83 words were the only piece of wisdom left in the world, it would be enough.
What are we optimizing for if we follow his advice? Peace, the Master’s highest treasure.
Lao Tzu is so generous, that he tells us what to do, and leaves out how to do it. If no amount of words could explain the taste of vanilla ice cream, how can we expect any book, course or teacher to explain the secret to living in peace? And even if he could, he wouldn’t deprive us of the joy of the journey of getting there.
When I first read this chapter, it felt like the aspirin that could manage the symptoms of my emotional headaches. However, after more than ten years of studying the Tao Te Ching, I see it more as an antibiotic. It works only if you take it consistently and have the patience to wait for it to kick into effect; it’s not a treatment, its a cure.
Tao In Practice
Let’s talk about “Being yourself”. What does that even mean?
If you’re are reading this, odds are you have accepted that you’re NOT your accomplishments, your actions, your thoughts or even your emotions.^1 Even so, there is a strong mechanism that drives your life; your questions. They are yours, and they make you unique.
Your 12 Favorite Questions
Following the lead of my friend and productivity genius Tiago Forte, (who in turn was inspired by the legendary Richard Feynman) I encourage you to write down your 12 favorite problems or questions.
You can find inspiration in the books you choose to read, the projects you take on, the content you consume, and the conversations you tend to have. What to do with the resulting questions is up to you. Mine brought me here.
You can look at mine clicking here. In case you need some inspiration.
Song Picks of the Week
Idontknow - Jamie xx - *Disclaimer* - highly experimental electronic. For musically flexible minds only
Thank you! I usually encourage comments and feedback (and still do) but also reach out if you have any questions about my interpretation or the Tao in general. Just reply to this email.
Footnotes:
If not, let me know and perhaps and I can entertain you with my ideas on the matter.