The Secret of Effective Tao Travelers

Steven Covey mentioned in his book,“7 Habits of Highly Effective People” that we should prioritize different daily activities. In particular he recommends that we nurture the activities that may not seem very urgent, and that may on the first glance not even seem that useful, yet that are very important to us in our daily life. For Su Zhen these would be her daily connections with the Tao with the help of meditation, creative writing and energy work. Feeling the ongoing presence of the Way is what gives her life purpose and direction. Suddenly you are reminded of the big picture; issues that seemed like a big deal only yesterday suddenly move by like clouds in the wind. You focus on them but your mind doesn't linger on them.

Think of your creative ways to connect with the Tao as your morning coffee or your soul food. It is your daily practice to plant your two feel on the ground and center yourself. Everything else, while certainly important, suddenly flows with ease and joy. So on a very busy day the effective spiritual traveler may in fact do the opposite of what many others may do - instead of rushing to the tasks at hand, center yourself instead with your favorite meditative technique. Energy surges within- not in a restless, but in a serene way instead.

Christian has a similar mind-set. When he feels pressures at work to do something in a hurry, the first thing he does is to slow himself down. Amazingly, the pace of the world adjusts to our inner frame of mind. His way to connect with the Way is external instead. He sees divine connections in everything that comes his way, even in the busy world of financial markets. His spiritual world can be summed up with Psalm 23 - the state of the holy Now - "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." When you have this attitude you will see connectedness and potential upside in everything that comes your way. But you have to consciously look out for the Tao's hand-writing, otherwise you will get lost in the turmoils of your mind.

Find your idiosyncratic method to connect with the Way. It will supply you with a feeling of purpose and divinity. With this trust, confidence, and centeredness, what initially seems like a scary storm disintegrates into a harmless wind. Better than that, we can have the wind in our back and sail with it. Read Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" and discover how some remarkable people like him could even use the impact of a tornado - his horrendous Holocaust experience - and transform this energy into a life-long quest for teaching and healing. Victor Frankl shared his secret with us, find meaning in what you do and run with it.

Once you have connected with the energy of the Tao you will crave ongoing access. The hand-writing of the Tao is peace, love, joy and serenity. Everyone has access to this secret, you just have to find your idiosyncratic way of connecting with this Force.  Whatever your spiritual journey may be, please find this daily fountain of energy and wisdom. By being in touch with your Self you have access to eternal sunshine no matter what.


By Su Zhen and Christian