Captain Michael: One of the hardest things I have ever learned is that not every situation requires me to do something.
That runs agains
One of the hardest things I have ever learned is that not every situation requires me to do something.
That runs against a lifetime of conditioning.
See a problem.
Assess the problem.
Make a decision.
Take action.
There is a time for that.
There is also a time to leave the damn thing alone.
That may be where wu wei becomes difficult.
Because sometimes “action without unnecessary force” means recognizing that no action is necessary yet.
A sailor learns this at anchor.
The wind picks up.
The boat swings.
A little rain comes through.
Something bangs somewhere forward that you are absolutely certain has never banged before.
And every instinct says:
Do something.
So you watch.
You check your position.
You look at the other boats.
You feel what the boat is doing beneath your feet.
And sometimes you discover that everything is exactly as it should be.
The boat did not need your help.
Neither did the wind.
Neither did the sea.
Perhaps more things in life are like that than we realize.
Not every silence needs filling.
Not every disagreement needs answering.
Not every uncertainty needs resolving tonight.
Sometimes wisdom is simply paying attention long enough to discover whether anything actually needs to be done.
The Tao does not hurry.
Yet somehow, morning always comes.
#Taoism, #WuWei, #TheWatercourseWay, #LaoTzu, #Wisdom, #SailingLife, #LifeAfloat, #LiveaboardLife, #Philosophy, #TheWay, #CaptainMichael
Captain Michael: One of the hardest things I have ever learned is that not every situation requires me to do something. That runs against
One of the hardest things I have ever learned is that not every situation requires me to do something. That runs against a lifetime of conditioning. See a problem. Assess the problem. Make a decision. Take action. There is a time for that. There is also a time to leave the damn thing alone. That may be where wu wei becomes difficult. Because sometimes “action without unnecessary force” means recognizing that no action is necessary yet. A sailor learns this at anchor. The wind picks up. The boat swings. A little rain comes through. Something bangs somewhere forward that you are absolutely certain has never banged before. And every instinct says: Do something. So you watch. You check your position. You look at the other boats. You feel what the boat is doing beneath your feet. And sometimes you discover that everything is exactly as it should be. The boat did not need your help. Neither did the wind. Neither did the sea. Perhaps more things in life are like that than we realize. Not every silence needs filling. Not every disagreement needs answering. Not every uncertainty needs resolving tonight. Sometimes wisdom is simply paying attention long enough to discover whether anything actually needs to be done. The Tao does not hurry. Yet somehow, morning always comes. #Taoism, #WuWei, #TheWatercourseWay, #LaoTzu, #Wisdom, #SailingLife, #LifeAfloat, #LiveaboardLife, #Philosophy, #TheWay, #CaptainMichael
One of the hardest things I have ever learned is that not every situation requires me to do something. That runs against a lifetime of conditioning. See a problem. Assess the problem. Make a decision. Take action. There is a time for that. There is also a time to leave the damn thing alone. That may be where wu wei becomes difficult. Because sometimes “action without unnecessary force” means recognizing that no action is necessary yet. A sailor learns this at anchor. The wind picks up. The boat swings. A little rain comes through. Something bangs somewhere forward that you are absolutely certain has never banged before. And every instinct says: Do something. So you watch. You check your position. You look at the other boats. You feel what the boat is doing beneath your feet. And sometimes you discover that everything is exactly as it should be. The boat did not need your help. Neither did the wind. Neither did the sea. Perhaps more things in life are like that than we realize. Not every silence needs filling. Not every disagreement needs answering. Not every uncertainty needs resolving tonight. Sometimes wisdom is simply paying attention long enough to discover whether anything actually needs to be done. The Tao does not hurry. Yet somehow, morning always comes. #Taoism, #WuWei, #TheWatercourseWay, #LaoTzu, #Wisdom, #SailingLife, #LifeAfloat, #LiveaboardLife, #Philosophy, #TheWay, #CaptainMichael
