Life Wisdom - By Words of Taoism

This episode is about grief, about what it does to us and how we can make our way through it, and also about how we can stand beside those who are living through 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://tin...

When we dread the future, we assume that the sky might fall, and we also assume that we know what would be good for us and what would be bad. 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/spotifyzenplayl...

When two people meet for the first time, the first thing they exchange is a name, and the second, almost always, is a question: so, what do you do? 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/spotifyze...

Zhuangzi tells the story of a man who was so troubled by his own shadow, and by the sound of his own footsteps, that he decided to get away from them for good. 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.c...

A life left to itself grows the way an unpruned tree grows, in every direction at once, and it is rarely anyone's fault. 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 very good at giving thanks and surprisingly bad at feeling grateful, and that gap is worth sitting with, because we tend to assume that the words and the feeling are the same thing at two different volumes, when they turn out to be different kinds of thing altogether. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog:...

"Alone" is a word we use every day that has changed its meaning under us, and I would like to spend some time with it, because the change explains a great deal about why so many of us feel the way we feel. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Today I want to talk about timing. About the sense, which some people seem to have and most of us feel we lack, of when to act and when to wait, when to speak and when to hold back, when a thing is ready and when it needs more time. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.subs...

Being understood is one of the ways we feel close to another person. There is a particular ease in knowing someone can see the intention behind an awkward sentence, or recognise tiredness in a silence that might otherwise look cold. Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Watch what the mind does with happiness. It rarely just takes it. I want to be careful here, because it would be easy to describe all that as a failure of presence and leave you feeling you have been doing joy incorrectly. That is not what is happening. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/...

I want to talk about the story we tell ourselves when something ends. And about the fact that almost all of us have only one story available, and it is a story about failure. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ht...

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind there are few. 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

Most of us have promised ourselves, at some point, that we would live more simply. 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

Today I'd like to talk with you about something almost everyone treats as a weakness, and which I think has been badly misunderstood: the fact that we care, often a great deal, about what other people think of us. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Somewhere along the way, most of us start keeping score of what passes between us and other people. And in that accounting, a gift or a compliment shows up as a debt. Debts are uncomfortable, so we settle them fast. Welcome back to Daily Wisdom. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismt...

Today, we're going to look at a reversal at the heart of how effort works: the fact that some things retreat from us precisely because we are reaching for them. 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://tiny...

The question I would like us to sit with is a simple one, and I suspect it has visited almost everyone listening. Why does the life we did not live always seem to have gone better than the one we are living? More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music...

Today we're going to sit with a frustration that lives underneath a great many abandoned projects and unfinished changes, the frustration of things that simply take time to ripen. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠...

What do you reach for when things get difficult? We all have our tools and we carry them everywhere. But most of us have never once asked whether they actually work, because we are usually too busy using them to evaluate them. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.c...

All week we have been pulling the plug on the things that keep us scattered and half-present. Today we finally turn to what all that unplugging was for, to the body, the world, and the people it was meant to hand back to us, and to how we actually find our way home to them. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog:...

Never in human history have we been this connected, able to reach almost anyone, instantly, at any hour, and loneliness has climbed steadily right alongside all that connection. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoismteachings.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music I use, as a playlist: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Your attention is not only wandering off on its own. It is being taken. There is now an entire economy built on capturing it, staffed by some of the most talented people alive, and its whole purpose is to fragment your focus and hold it, because your attention is the product being bought and sold. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Today we go after one of the buried ones, the fear that keeps us checking, reaching, and saying yes when we mean no: the fear of missing out, and what it is really about. 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:...

Over the next five days we are going to talk about disconnection, not as a punishment or a digital cleanse, but as a lost art worth recovering, the ability to unplug from the hundred streams that pull at us and reconnect to what actually matters. More resources: Free resources, books and more on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://wordsoftaoism.com/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ My Substack Blog: ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://taoism...

We are told, constantly, that trusting yourself is a feeling. That confident people simply have more of it, some inner certainty the rest of us lack. And so we try to feel our way into it. We repeat encouraging phrases. We try to believe in ourselves harder. And it does not hold, because it is built on nothing, and some honest part of us knows it is built on nothing. More resources: Free resources...