I’m not going to lie, the month of August for me was a bit bumpy. In short, I’d set this ambitious income goal for my digital publication and fell short.
Like way short.
So my first inclination is to up my game, using willpower to force the outcome I’m seeking. To triple my activity. To go without sleep if need be.
In recent days, though, I was reminded of how a good Taoist might approach this — through grace versus the grind; through flow versus force.
OR in common Eastern philosophy vernacular….
… Balancing “Yin” and the “Yang”
Here in the U.S. our Western culture is tilted towards a hustle and grind mindset, which when embraced over long periods can be destructive. Looking back over the course of my life, I find that my struggles, financial or otherwise, become compounded whenever I place the “Doing” over “Being.” In other words whenever I prioritize forceful action (doing) over the groundedness of being, the bottom seems to fall out.
It’s that proverbial chase that we’re all familiar with which goes as follows……
As opposed to unconsciously fighting, resisting, and creating our own obstructions to the natural flow of life, the true essence of the Taoist journey is allowing things to unfold naturally. In other words, living predominantly in “Yin” energy while sprinkling in timely does of the Yang
What’s often uncomfortable about the Yin state is that it involves living in the paradox of the unknown. In my experience, successfully navigating through this uncertainty is more likely to occur when your inner and outer worlds are synced and harmonized.
As my friend Jason Gregory beautifully articulates in his video on Synchronicity below, “living your life through trust aligns your life with fate.”
He goes on to say that mere survival is tied to the linear world while fate which is non-linear is tied to the natural world.
Jason adds:
“TRUST in the unfolding of fate in our life — leads to synchronicity”
My Note to Self
Letting go of being relentlessly attached to a finite, force oriented outcome allows for the infinite nature of the Universe to unfold naturally and effortlessly.
Access the video link HERE