Some Words from Walt

January 18, 2010 · Posted in Self Improvement · Comment

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What follows is an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s Preface to Leaves of Grass (1855). It’s an excellent perspective and a starting point I return to whenever I feel as if I’m off track.

“This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body“.

Tags: Walt Whitman, wise words

What to do?

January 18, 2010 · Posted in Tao · Comment

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We have all had those moments of indecision. Some are trivial, such as what to wear to the party. Then others are life changing such as buying a new house or taking a new job across the country. Often we feel pressured to make a quick decision. Our society tells us things like, “when opportunity knocks” or “don’t miss the boat” and my favorite, “Act now! Operators are standing by!”

Maybe though, our indecision is not an inability to make a choice. Consider that “not choosing” is in itself a choice.

Certainly there are times when we do make quick decisions. We do so with confidence because we are sure of the choice we want to make. There are also times when we have doubt or simply need to look closer at the choices available to us. These times do not make us indecisive or weak. The decision to not decide is the one that may require the most strength.

Embrace the opportunity to not act when you feel it’s appropriate. Listen to yourself and if you aren’t sure what to do, then wait.

Thus you can do, by not doing.

Tags: choices, decisions, wu wei

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