Life Wisdom - By Words of Taoism

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. The life in front of you unfolds in real time, once, and a great deal of the time we are not there for it, off in the future, or the past, or the endless commentary running in the head. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. We carry a low, constant discomfort with the void, and we have arranged much of modern life so that we never quite have to feel it. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. We tend to treat ordinary life as the waiting room for the real thing. Real life, we imagine, is somewhere further on, in the breakthrough or the trip or the rare conversation that will finally wake us up, and the ordinary is just the grey stretch we cross to get there. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. To want less is to step off an escalator that everyone around you is riding upward, to risk looking unambitious, to stop measuring your worth by how much you have managed to gather. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Mu...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. When life becomes too loud, the first thing to go missing is the sound of our own life. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/spotifyzenplaylist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nothing arrives in the world at full size. Nothing. And yet when we imagine our own beginnings, we picture them arriving at full size, and then we are ashamed when they do not. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Look at what actually happens to people who treat themselves with compassion, and you find they are not less driven but more. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/spotifyzenplaylist⁠⁠⁠⁠

We carry a private grudge against ourselves, sometimes for years, sometimes for decades, over a betrayal, a failure, a way we hurt someone we loved, a chance we let slip through our hands. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlis...

Behind every composed surface is a person with their own fears and failures and regrets, their own parts they pray no one will ever see. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/spotifyzenplaylist⁠⁠...

We are fluent in kindness toward others and strangely mute in it toward ourselves. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/spotifyzenplaylist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Notice, for a moment, how you speak to yourself on a bad day, after a mistake, a failure, something you are ashamed of. There is usually a running commentary in there, and it is rarely gentle; for many of us it is a voice we would never use on a person we loved, and we aim it at ourselves without a second thought. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftao...

Beneath the ten thousand changing things, it says, there is a stillness that does not change. All things rise and flourish, each in its own season, and each in its own time returns to the place it came from. Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a play...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. Coming home to yourself is the difference between living as a stranger in your own experience and living as someone who belongs there, who can turn inward and find, instead of an empty room or a courtroom, a place that is genuinely theirs. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. To stay with yourself is gentler and far less busy than the fleeing makes us fear. It asks only that you keep the feeling company, letting it be there, noticing where it sits in the body, the tightness in the chest or the heaviness behind the eyes, without running from it and without spinning it into a story. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. To take something personally is to place yourself at the center of another person's behavior, to assume that what they did was aimed, that it carried an intention toward you and a judgment of your worth. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. Think of how you feel walking through your own door at the end of a hard day. You are often carrying a weight that is unmistakably heavy, and yet if you stopped to sort through it, you might find that a surprising amount of it is not actually yours. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack B...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. We have arranged things so that we are almost never alone with ourselves, and the moment a pause opens, the phone is in the hand, a sound is filling the silence, the next task is already pulling us forward. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings....

The deepest discipline is not never falling away. It is learning how to return without turning against yourself. Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/spotifyzenplaylist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. We have moved from seeing more of another person's story, to listening past their words, to imagining our way into their world, to choosing a response instead of firing off a reaction. All of it has been leaning toward one simple thing, the plain willingness to be good to another human being. So I want to end on a question we rarely stop to ask about that. What do...

Welcome back to daily wisdom. You know the moment. A message arrives with the wrong tone, or someone says the thing that finds your sore spot, and before a single clear thought has formed, the heat is already up and the sharp reply is already writing itself. You hit send, or you say it aloud, and some part of you knows even as it happens that this is not your best self talking. It is fast, it feel...

Welcome Back to Daily Wisdom. Each of us moves through life inside a world built from our own history, our fears, the things that once hurt us and the ones we are still hoping for. A word that means nothing to you can land on someone's oldest wound, and a small kindness you barely noticed can be the thing that holds their whole day together. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. Most of us think of ourselves as good listeners, and in some moments perhaps we are. We care. We try to be present. We would never enter a conversation hoping to miss what the other person is trying to say. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My blog ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.c...

Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. The story we build about another person is often a confession of our own, which is worth remembering the next time one arrives feeling like simple fact. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My blog ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http...

We nearly always confuse strength with hardness, and gentleness with weakness. Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My blog ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/spotifyzenplaylist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome back to daily wisdom. By the time a day ends, most of us have already quietly judged it. We got somewhere, or we fell behind. And what is striking is how often the verdict is a small no, even after a day that was full. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My blog ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...