The Secret of Highly Effective People

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 still very important to us in our daily life. For me that would be my daily attempt to connect with my Self with the help of meditation and creative writing. It activities like these that give our lives purpose. While others may need their coffee in the morning, I need to have access to these creative outlets to be truly effective in the day.

On a very busy day I do the opposite of what many others may do; instead of rushing into the tasks at hand, I take my time to meditate to put myself in the right frame of mind. Meditation helps me to anchor myself in the now and gives me the energy to deal with everything that comes my way. When Christian 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.

Christian always always reverts back to  Psalm 23 which describes the state of the holy now. What is the ongoing communication of the Tao for him is meditation and creative writing for me. Either method boils down to the same thing, there is an ongoing connection with the Self - a feeling of purpose and divine connectedness that we can always tap into. 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.

Why do meditation and writing have such calming impact on me? It is the presence of the Self that I can feel at that moment. Everyone has access to this secret, you just have to find your idiosyncratic way of connecting with this Force. Some find the Self in external happenings like Christian's discovery of the Tao, while others like me are able to connect with an inner guide instead. 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. Find this secret that other highly effective people have found before you and please share it with others.

By Su Zhen and Christian

The Journey Home

The Tao is a homecoming journey. To what exactly only those who have finished the journey can tell you and few of them are around. So you have to find out for yourself what walking the Way is all about.

The Tao is a journey of healing, of undoing all the cuts from the past. Do not regret these little injuries, do not blame those who inflicted them. They made you the person you were born to be. You couldn't have reached this point of departure if it weren't for them.

Life is a web that pulls you up. You thought that it could pull you down. I can but only if you believe that it can. The Tao is here to teach you otherwise. Everyone you meet in fact cheers you on. Where you saw enemies before you only saw ghosts of your own making. No one has the power to hurt you, only you can.

Start your journey back to the Source today. Many paths lead you there, ours is that of the Tao. Along the Way everyone roots for you because you make it your premise. Enjoy the healing, the fun, the laughter and the boundless love.

Stop thinking about your final destination. By traveling the Tao you are already there. Many have seen that divine connection. Moses discovered I Am when he saw the burning bush, Arjun discovered the Way on the battlefield in the Bhagavad Gita. King David's Psalm 23 describes the magnificent web of life. Be part of it and be Home already.

The Power of Positive Thinking

I was once on a business trip in Frankfurt and was standing in line to get a taxi when two people passed by and I overheard how the one was saying to the other " There is one thing I have figured out in the meantime, sometimes a lot is put on your plate, but life has its ways that you will never be given more than you can handle." I thought to myself that this sums up my thinking pretty well. What I would add though, through all the joy as well as pain that life brings your way, you have a perfect opportunity to heal yourself and your environment and take a step closer to your center of wholeness in the process. 

Don't hope that as a spiritual path traveler your personal agenda will always be satisfied, after all, you are here to learn that you are not your agenda. Yet, the power of positive thinking is that every cloud has a silver lining if you so chose. Life hands out problems that allow you to define and find yourself.The power of positive thinking I live by is that everything is just perfect as is - let the flow of life happen as it does. There is very little for you to do, just compliment, mentor, heal and love the people who surround you and and everything will be delivered to you on a silver platter. And if a problem comes your way, try to see it as a stepping stone to the next spiritual level.

How can you even say which development is good and which is bad?A CEO of a large Fortune 500 company said that his worst mistake was that he once hired an alcoholic for a key position early in his career. When he realized that he made a mistake he immediately did what he could to have him removed from this position. What seemed like a costly error then, may in hindsight have been the reason why he got the CEO job. The upper management was impressed with the way how he handled the situation and how he fessed up and corrected it.

A spiritual path gives you mojo, joy and peace of mind. Like the traveler in the famous Psalm 23, you feel you are equipped to handle any situation life throws at you whether you travel in the sun or the valley of darkness. This attitude is not a religion, it is an experiment. See if it works for you as well. In my experience, the Tao invites you to show up for life, and if you do, will demonstrate over over and over again that everything that comes your way is a chance to heal, transcend and discovering your spiritual core. In that world, why shouldn't you be positive?

Creative Tensions

The tension is unbearable. I hope it lasts.
(Oscar Wilde)

 I can tell you something about the creative tension that Oscar Wilde refers to. I work as a strategist in the financial industry and it is part of my job description to make predictions about events whose outcomes are unknown. The tension when you make a forecast is unbearable. Your mind searches intensely during these periods for clues, but fact of the matter is that at the time when you make your predictions you just don't know what will happen. What you do know, however, is that every voice you meet is important.  You have learned over and over again that there is no hierarchy, every hint, loud or quiet, matters. So be grateful for the golden opportunity that comes your way when you bump into people today; everyone has a present in hand for you.

The tension has to be there. If you knew everything in advance you would no longer value the input of others as much. You might even look down on the people who have the 'wrong' point of view at that particular juncture. The happiness comes once the tension gets resolved one way or another, so if you want to enjoy the ensuing happiness, you have to bear the tension as well.

So where exactly is the security that many spiritual path travelers report if they are as exposed to uncertainty as everyone else? The security comes from the realization that no matter what happens, the outcome will be spiritual meaningful to you. Sure, there are dark valleys and perhaps even enemies along the way, but as Psalm 23 reminds us, the spiritual path traveler will always be equipped to handle every scary moment just fine. It took me a while to accept the unbearable tension of life, but like Oscar Wilde before me, I now want more of it every day.

Why does ego death have to be so theatrical?

To let go of your ego is a big step into the unknown. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that you will face fear. Of course I am hoping that it is just me and that the majority of spiritual path travelers doesn't have to face this fear when you are shaking in your boots, but my hunch is that we all have to make this step sooner or later. Joseph Campbell identified this theme in the hero with a thousand faces; somehow every hero has to venture out into the wilderness despite herself and after a long time of soul searching has to slay the dragon and only then has earned the right to live happily ever after. It is always the same theme.

Do you remember how Luke Skywalker received his Jedi training? He had to reflect incoming laser light blindfolded. In the same way Jean-Claude Van Damme had to face his opponent in Bloodsport. Do you remember the fear in his face when this apparently invincible opponent had managed to blind him temporarily? But then you will also remember the calmness that overcame him when he remembered his old teacher and suddenly realized that he had always been prepared to handle this moment.

Being a Tao master is a psychological shift. It is letting go of the old world and whole hardly graduating to the next spiritual level. There has to be a sudden 'attack' when life throws you into this scene that only a hero can handle. Unless you take this step you would be stuck between the two worlds for a long time, which is painful as well. I think of this initiation like a band-aide, you rip it off and be done with it. Rejoice, after this staged exercise you will suddenly understand this security that our spiritual path travelers have experienced for millennia: 

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
 He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
he leads me beside quiet waters, 
 he refreshes my soul. 
He guides me along the right paths 
   for his name’s sake. 
Even though I walk 
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, 
   for you are with me; 
your rod and your staff, 
   they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me 
   in the presence of my enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil; 
   my cup overflows. 
Surely your goodness and love will follow me 
   all the days of my life, 
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD 
   forever.

Psalm 23

Cut out the Turkeys

I once listened to the advice of two successful businessmen, one was the owner of a sports team and the other the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and they both agreed on one thing: cut the 'turkeys' out of your life. I instinctively understood what they were saying: you can only be the best you can be if you have 100 percent faith in the team you are playing with. Doubt is like cancer, cut it out and be done with it once and for all.

I am a spiritual path traveler and not a CEO so I see things a little differently. The way I would rephrase their insight is as follows: cut out the interaction with people who you judge. Give your relationship time to heal. When your psychological wounds have healed a little, your spiritual brother and sister will step up and offer their hands one more time. 

For a Tao Master there are no turkeys. Once you have matured enough you will only meet with people who have a meaningful spiritual relationship with you. The 'villains' will not bother you because you have nothing that interests them. They will simply ignore you.
 Like Psalm 23 summarizes the Tao so well "The Lord prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies". 

You are secure along the Tao, so the only thing you have to throw overboard is your psychological baggage and the 'turkeys' will disappear from your life for the very reason that there are none. You may ask how, that's easy, just live your life and face the music the Tao will give you plenty of opportunities to let go.

Spiritual Turmoil

The other day I was watching the song 'Mary did you Know' on YouTube and the video showed scenes from 'The Passion of the Christ'. I couldn't watch it, it was just too heavy for me to see the Son of God humiliated that way. Unfortunately, the scenes are probably quite realistic. All the historic evidence suggest that the man Jesus  died a painful death, while the divine Christ rose on Eastern Sunday and when He rose all the tortures of the past were nothing but a faint memory. Why, I ask, do we humans need to undergo mental turmoil to advance to the next spiritual level? Is it really the karmic debt that we carry around, and did the Christ want to shoulder some of ours? Did Jesus the man just chose wrongly, did he misunderstood the signals of the Tao (His Father)?

 I have no answers to any of the questions, but I do observe that there is a lot of emotional turmoil in our spiritual community. Many spiritual path travelers face emotional upheaval, especially these days. Keep the faith my friend, the dark times somehow prepare you for your next spiritual break-through. As it is written in Psalm 23' "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, You are with me." And it is then followed by "Surely your goodness and love will follow me and the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Doubt

Every quarter I write an investment letter to our clients and I effectively have been doing that for many many years. Still, each quarter there is a day of mental anguish: "what if I have nothing worthwhile to say this time around, what if my writing style is not up to the mark?" This is what the mind does, it doubts and worries. While these persistent doubts are just annoying, I think the spiritual path traveler can actually learn something from them. This institution in your head that worries and doubts is the one you like to monitor, so when in doubt, there is your opportunity to be aware of what is going on in your mind. Faith is the realization that the same movie with only slight variations is plotting along every day and that based on your experience a helping hand is always out there. Most likely whatever happens today will be just perfect, and if not, a learning opportunity is around the corner and that situation will be ok too. Psalm 23 comes to mind:

 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

How to Survive and Even Thrive in the Real World

I am reading the book The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and my blood is chilling - actually, this is a good thing as it is really hot these days in Boston. But back to the topic, how on earth can a spiritual traveler dare to survive if we meet these scheming sharks in the real world?

Well, time will tell as far as I am concerned, since I have made it my mission to test my Tao in the financial world. Actually, I plan to write books about my experiment since I think that we are entering the next stage in human consciousness when light workers slowly but surely penetrate all corners of business and politics.

My hypothesis is that you can speak your mind freely as long as you happen to be perfectly in-tune with everything that is going on in your environment. Your friends, colleagues and foes invite you sometimes to speak and sometimes to shut up. You can see the clues in their faces, when you hear their voices and you can observe the energy dynamics in your environment.

Never miss an opportunity to shine, and never miss an opportunity to shut up! If you think you can speak your mind freely, butt in like an elephant in a china shop and the dear Lord will be cleaning up behind you, then you likely will be in for a lesson. But if you walk the Tao moment by moment and create, lead and withdraw in harmony with your surroundings, professional success and Psalm 23 will apply to you as well:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me.
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

May your path be blessed,
Zeitgeist