Calm a Most Important Ingredient For a Beautiful State
Listen to the TAO TE CHING
Wu Wei
Dive Deeper
The Wisdom of Lao Tzu and the Tao
In a world obsessed with speed, success, and control, the ancient wisdom of Lao Tzu offers a radically different approach—one that invites flow, balance, and effortless harmony with life itself. This is the Way of the Tao.
Taoism isn’t about rules or rigid beliefs; it’s about alignment with nature, understanding the flow of life, and letting go of resistance. Lao Tzu, the legendary sage and author of the Tao Te Ching, taught that true power comes not from force, but from stillness. That wisdom isn’t found in struggle, but in surrender.
What Does It Mean to Live the Tao?
To live according to the Tao means to:
✅ Embrace simplicity – The less we chase, the more we receive.
✅ Trust the natural flow – Stop fighting the current; let the river carry you.
✅ Act without force (Wu Wei) – The most powerful actions are effortless.
✅ Cultivate stillness – Silence reveals truth more than endless thought.
✅ Lead with humility – True strength lies in softness and adaptability.
Living the Tao: A Deeper Dive into Lao Tzu’s Wisdom
The Tao, or “The Way,” is not something to be controlled, owned, or even fully understood. It simply is—like the wind that blows without effort, the river that flows without resistance, and the seasons that change without struggle. Lao Tzu’s teachings in the Tao Te Ching invite us to live in harmony with this natural flow of existence. But what does that really mean?
Let’s dive deeper into three key Taoist principles and how they can transform your life.
1. Wu Wei (Effortless Action)
The Power of Letting Go
One of the most misunderstood yet powerful concepts in Taoism is Wu Wei, often translated as “effortless action” or “action without force.”
🔹 It doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means acting in harmony with the moment.
🔹 It’s the difference between forcing a solution and allowing the right path to reveal itself.
🔹 Think of an athlete in the “zone”—they’re not overthinking, they’re flowing effortlessly.
💡 How to Practice Wu Wei:
- Stop forcing situations—observe, then act when the moment is right.
- Trust in timing rather than trying to control every outcome.
- Let go of attachment to rigid plans; be adaptable.
Example: Instead of pushing to make a relationship, career, or investment work, step back and observe where the energy flows naturally. You’ll often find a better path when you stop forcing the wrong one.
2. Simplicity & Spontaneity – The Art of Non-Resistance
Lao Tzu teaches: “The great Way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths.”
Society tells us we need more—more money, more success, more things. The Tao teaches us to simplify and trust in life’s unfolding.
🔹 A tree does not try to grow; it just does.
🔹 The sun does not force itself to shine; it simply rises.
🔹 Children laugh, play, and live freely—without overanalyzing.
💡 How to Live Simply & Spontaneously:
- Detach from excess. What in your life feels heavy? Release it.
- Follow joy. If something feels light and natural, move toward it.
- Stop overthinking. Your intuition often knows the answer before your mind does.
Example: Instead of overplanning every detail of your life, leave space for spontaneity. The best moments often come when we least expect them.
3. Water – The Ultimate Teacher of the Tao
Lao Tzu often uses water as the perfect metaphor for the Tao.
🌊 Water is soft, yet it wears down mountains.
🌊 Water adapts—it takes the shape of whatever it fills.
🌊 Water flows effortlessly to where it is needed most.
💡 How to Be Like Water:
- Be flexible—rigidity leads to breakage.
- Learn to yield instead of always resisting.
- Flow around obstacles instead of wasting energy fighting them.
Example: If a plan in your life isn’t working, instead of forcing it, adapt. Find another path. Water never gets stuck—it simply finds a new way forward.
Bruce Lee Taught "Be Like Water"
Bruce Lee & The Philosophy of “Be Like Water”
Bruce Lee wasn’t just a martial artist—he was a philosopher, a seeker of truth, and a master of adaptability. One of his most famous teachings is:
“Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless—like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
But what does it really mean to “be like water”, and how can we apply this philosophy in everyday life?
1. Adaptability: The Key to Growth
Bruce Lee believed that rigidity leads to failure. A tree that refuses to bend in the wind will eventually break, while one that sways with the storm survives.
💡 Application: Instead of resisting change, adapt. Whether in business, relationships, or personal growth, those who adjust quickly thrive.
👉 In your career: Industries evolve. Skills become outdated. Be willing to learn, pivot, and innovate rather than clinging to old ways.
👉 In personal struggles: Instead of fighting what you can’t control, flow around obstacles like water does around rock
2. Letting Go of Ego & Fixed Identity
Water doesn’t have a fixed form—it takes the shape of whatever holds it. This reflects non-attachment, a principle found in Taoism, which deeply influenced Bruce Lee.
💡 Application: Don’t be stuck in a fixed identity. Many people limit themselves by saying, “This is just who I am.” Growth happens when you allow yourself to change.
👉 In conflict: Instead of reacting with ego, stay fluid. Listen. Adjust. Find the best approach, not just the one that “feels right” in the moment.
👉 In self-improvement: Don’t box yourself in with labels. Stay open to becoming something greater than you were yesterday.
3. Flow, But Strike When Necessary
Water flows, but it also crashes. Bruce Lee’s martial arts weren’t about brute force—they were about knowing when to be soft and when to strike with precision.
💡 Application: In life, timing matters. Know when to go with the flow, and when to take decisive action.
👉 In decision-making: Sometimes patience is key. Other times, you must act immediately.
👉 In leadership: Great leaders listen and observe first, but when the time is right, they take bold action.
Final Thought: Are You Water?
Bruce Lee’s lesson is clear: Rigid things break. Water endures.
Next time you face an obstacle, ask yourself:
👉 Am I resisting, or am I adapting?
👉 Am I stuck in my ways, or am I flowing with life?
👉 Am I waiting for the right moment to strike?
Embracing the Tao in Everyday Life
Taoism isn’t about escaping reality; it’s about fully engaging with it—but in a way that is aligned with the natural flow. It’s about finding deep peace in the middle of life’s chaos.
✅ In your work → Act when inspired, pause when drained.
✅ In relationships → Give space, let things unfold naturally.
✅ In daily struggles → Release attachment, trust the flow.
Lao Tzu reminds us: “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
So ask yourself:
👉 Where am I resisting life?
👉 What would happen if I let go and flowed instead?
The Tao is always present, always flowing. The question is—are you flowing with it?
Mastering the Tao: Living in True Harmony with the Way
Lao Tzu’s teachings in the Tao Te Ching are more than just philosophy—they are a way of being that transforms how we move through the world. To truly live the Tao, we must not just understand it, but embody it in our daily actions, thoughts, and presence.
But how do we go beyond concepts and truly experience the Tao? Let’s go even deeper.
1. The Paradox of Effort: Doing by Not Doing
Lao Tzu teaches us that the more we struggle, the less we achieve. The more we try to control, the more life slips through our fingers.
🔹 “The more we interfere, the more problems we create.”
🔹 “When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.”
This is Wu Wei in its highest form—not just effortless action, but an alignment with the natural flow of the universe.
🌀 How to Apply Wu Wei on a Deeper Level
✅ Observe Before Acting – The Tao reveals itself to those who are patient.
✅ Do Less, Achieve More – Instead of forcing success, let it emerge.
✅ Flow with Resistance – When you meet an obstacle, don’t fight—adjust, like water.
💡 Example: Instead of pushing to make a business deal happen, pause. Watch. Let the right opportunity come to you. When it feels effortless, that’s the Tao at work.
2. The Secret of Emptiness: The Power of the Unseen
One of the most profound teachings in Taoism is that true power lies in what is NOT there.
🌀 A wheel is useful because of its empty space.
🌀 A cup is valuable because of its hollow center.
🌀 A house is livable because of the rooms’ empty space.
The Tao is in the emptiness, not the fullness.
🔹 The Art of Creating Space
✅ Let go of excess thoughts – Clarity comes when the mind is still.
✅ Simplify your surroundings – The less clutter, the more flow.
✅ Detach from identity – You are not your labels; you are the vast space beyond them.
💡 Example: When making decisions, don’t fill your mind with overthinking. Instead, sit in emptiness. Let the answer arise naturally, without forcing it.
3. Yielding as the Ultimate Strength
Lao Tzu teaches:
🌀 “The softest thing in the world overcomes the hardest.”
🌀 “The tree that does not bend breaks in the storm.”
In the West, we admire strength, power, and dominance. But in the Tao, the ultimate power is yielding, surrendering, adapting.
🌀 How to Yield Like Water
✅ Stop resisting life’s changes – What if challenges were guiding you, not blocking you?
✅ Use softness to overcome hardness – Patience often wins over aggression.
✅ Let go of the need to be “right” – The flexible mind is the enlightened mind.
💡 Example: If someone argues with you, instead of pushing back, listen, absorb, and redirect—like water flowing around a rock. This is true mastery.
4. Non-Attachment: Freedom from Struggle
One of the greatest sources of human suffering is attachment—to success, to opinions, to how we think life “should” be.
Lao Tzu reminds us:
🌀 “When you let go of what you are, you become what you might be.”
🌀 How to Detach and Find True Freedom
✅ Detach from outcomes – Set intentions, but release expectations.
✅ Let go of rigid identity – Who you are is ever-changing; don’t cling to a fixed self.
✅ Surrender to the present moment – The more you resist, the more you suffer.
💡 Example: Instead of fearing change, what if you embraced it? What if the thing you’re holding onto is actually holding you back?
5. Seeing the Unseen: The Tao Beyond Words
Perhaps the deepest truth of the Tao is this: it cannot be explained, only lived.
Lao Tzu begins the Tao Te Ching by saying:
🌀 “The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.”
Words can only point to the Way, but they are not the Way itself. To truly know the Tao, you must experience it in silence, in nature, in stillness, in your own being.
🌀 The Final Step: Beyond Understanding
✅ Spend time in nature – The Tao is written in the trees, the rivers, and the sky.
✅ Practice deep stillness – Meditation is not about doing; it’s about being.
✅ Trust the unfolding – The more you try to grasp the Tao, the more it eludes you. Let go.
💡 Final Thought: Imagine standing by a river. You do not need to understand the river to feel its presence, hear its flow, or know its direction. The Tao is the same.
Are You Ready to Live the Tao?
The Tao isn’t something to be figured out—it’s something to be lived.
So ask yourself:
👉 Where in my life am I pushing when I should be flowing?
👉 What am I attached to that I could release?
👉 How can I practice effortless action today?
The Tao is already guiding you. The only question is—will you trust it? 🌿
Your Highest Achievement is Control of Your Thoughts and Feelings
Neville Goddart Quote