Category Archives: Taoism thought of the day

I once was told that I had quite a myriad of friends, and if you put them all in one room, it would make for quite an interesting party because they were not all from the same background or interests. And yet, I could somewhat relate to all of them. I guess being a Gemini makes one a complex creature, and labels often get lost of me.

In my last Taoism thought of the day, I spoke of duality, and it’s really the core reason for my rejection of labels. Because I’m not your typical accountant through and through. Yes, I am always aware of where our money is going without Quicken, but I also see value in spending the time to watch it closely because every penny does add up. And in the same token, I’m adventurous artist that loves to be spontaneous. Both of which in combination would appear to be conflict of interest for most. But for me, it’s just who I am.

I can easily get into a heated discussion about effective date definitions on purchased accrued interest as I can about abstract art. So when it comes to religion, I have often disliked labels as well. To put everything into nice, little boxes restricts the soul.

So I challenge you, strike up conversations with those that appear different than yourself…see the world though their eyes…

At one point or another, we all experience wake-up calls–moments in our lives that we can either learn from and move forward in our lives–or we can simple call it status quo, and go about our business as usual.

The thing about wake-up calls is that they often take much courage, dedication, and willingness to change. Changing our behaviors is certainly not an easy task. But it’s an important one to embrace when it ultimately comes down to keeping or losing a major relationship in our lives.

Often when it comes to wake-up calls, it takes two to tango, and two (or more in some cases) to learn from the lessons at hand. While it’s not an easy path to admit ones faults, and work on making changes for the better. Ultimately, when we’re willing to fess up and admit our faults, we end up being stronger and better people for doing so.

To me, there are several different ways to meditate. While the tradition form of meditation has you sit still focus on breathing, it personally has never worked for me. That is, my mind always tends to wander and I start to fidget. Active forms of meditation such as journal writing, walking, or creating art have worked. But no mater what form of meditation works for you, the bottom line is that the end result is to give your mind, body, and soul a chance to release. Release of all of the thoughts that we keep bottled up inside and give ourselves a chance to discover what’s really eating ourselves up. That is, under all those layers of thoughts exists our subconscious thoughts. The ones that hold the key to the answers we seek. The ones that help explain the underlying truth behind our actions and thoughts.

As 365 Tao put its:

We ourselves are the battleground for good and evil. There is no need to look beyond our world. Everything to be understood is within us. All that must be transcended–pains and scars of the past–is within us. All the power of transcendence is also within us. Tap into it and you tap into the divine.

As a seeker, I have often gone in search for the “perfect book”. The one that would hold all the answers, and in time, I realized that the book was within me. Sometimes it would take some inspirational reading such as 365 Tao to find that “inner zen”. But more often than not, the best way to find the answers to the questions we seek is through meditation and prayer. By actively meditating or praying, I was able to let go of all that I struggled with and find inner peace. Or at least, temporary inner peace. Because the thing is, it’s not one of those things that you can just do once and find nirvana. It’s something that you have to make a commit to, and actively practice in order, to keep that inner zen. Or eventually, one day you might find yourself stranded on the side of the road. And you’re not quite sure where you made a wrong turn, but you know you’re lost. The thing to keep in mind is that you can always get back on track. You can always make a couple u-turns and find yourself. It just takes a little bit of commitment of time to actively make meditation and prayer part of your daily life.

Worry is a problem that seems to be rampant…It is a cancer of the emotions–concern gone compulsive.

We all have our worries. Some of them valid. Some of them needless. But the bottom line is…worrying does nothing. It only stresses oneself out more. And in some cases, the people around you.

It does no good to say, “Don’t think about it.” You’ll only worry more.

So what can you do? Well, for starters take action. No matter what your worry is about…there is always something you can do. Even in situations where you have no control, you can channel your energies into something positive. If you’re an artist, get out your tools of the craft and create something. If you’re a gardener, go dig up some weeds or plant some flowers. And if nothing else, just go for a walk to blow off some steam. Another lesson in today’s Taoism thought of the day speaks of learning to accept the things you can change. That is, in our world today, we are surrounded horrible events that happen every day. Often I come across individuals that simply stop watching the news because they cannot handle it anymore. While it’s hard to see the ugly parts of life exposed daily on the front page, I also believe there is much good in our world that takes place every day that doesn’t make the front page. So do what you can, and realize that you’re only one person so you can only do so much. One of my own personal reflections on the topic of worry concerns the change in our society. While some people refer to it as the “me” generation. I think you have to be careful here. While it is important to show compassion for the people you encounter in life, it is also as equally important to be able to take care of yourself. That is, if you all you do is give and give…you will eventually wear yourself down to the point where you’re doing more harm than good in the big picture. So with that being said, remember to take time for yourself. Where it’s a cup of tea in the evenings reading something inspirational or a hot bubble bath…me time is important.

Quotes provide by: 365 Tao