Tao.
I absolutely have been enamored by the concept of Tao and strongly believe it to be true. Tao, for any that may not know, is the underlying principle that governs nature. It is the principle that dictates how things work within the system that is the universe. As we traverse through our lives, we often lose sight of the true meaning of existing. We cannot control the environment, we can only adjust to it as it presents itself to us. When we do too much, it backfires, when we do too little, it hurts us. In my opinion Taoism is uniquely individual, the rules are not defined for the collective, but instead for the individual. By knowing this, it also suggests that we each have a unique purpose, and when fully aligned with said purpose, only then are we able to experience the beauty of Tao.
I love the book Mastery by Robert Greene. He suggests that we each have an inner calling, and many of us overlook it. Yet, if we truly aligned ourselves with it, not only can we achieve mastery, but we can find something that many would call a life's work. That is why I love the idea of Tao. My parents call me a romanticist but I know fundamentally that it is a universal truth. My favorite example is Rick Rubin. He on all accounts is a mentor of mine, and I often find myself gravitating towards his work because of the way he’s able to interact with the world. Rick is a legendary producer, yet not in the way you may imagine. Rick is a consultant for musicians, and much of his work is dependent on living in accordance with Tao. He often states, if I produce a song, and I know the song is going to be a hit, but the timing is not right to release the song, I won’t release it until I feel it’s right. Some of his biggest songs were released months after they were produced.
My favorite part about Rick is that he has absolutely no music technicalities. He doesn’t mix music, he doesn't play any instruments; he just knows what he likes and has made a career out of it. Why I like Rick so much is that he lives in a state of trust. He trusts his intuition, his taste, his expertise, and has made countless hits because of it. He has a podcast I like to listen to all the time called Tetragrammaton. He brings a diverse group of people onto the podcast, some of whom are fundamentally different from Rick, but also, maybe without realising, have mastered the subjects they are talking about because they became fully aligned with what their true calling is. What Rick is absolutely amazing at on the podcast, is asking the right questions every single time. You can tell he genuinely listens to people, and in doing so, he is able to intuitively ask questions that bring out the best in his guests.
One of my favorite episodes (thanks to the recommendation of Colter) is Gwenyth Paltrow. She is incredibly talented as an actress but equally as talented as an individual. She has created an environment in which she is able to express her creativity with no limitations. She started a blog, which blew up, enabling her to tell people about where she liked to travel, eat, and experience. As her blog grew, she realized that she could also bring people into her world about other things she was interested in, like fashion and beauty products. Which she then turned into a full blown business (Goop). To me this screams Tao. She started her career off as an actress, which she obviously had to practice at, but it landed her a few roles which kick started her career. She then was able to free up time for herself with the money she earned from acting and then traveled the world. As she traveled she would speak with the locals and dine, shop, and stay in places they themselves would, and documented the whole experience. She started off writing for herself, but her blog grew organically, until it got to the point it only made since to start a business. What I think happened to her is that she was guiding herself with her intuition and in doing so, it opened doors to new experiences. Like a river flowing down a mountain it always finds the point of least resistance. The same for people like Rick and Gwenyth, who didn’t seek results or have any expectations of outcomes, they just put themselves in the correct positions that eventually got them there.
The reason I’m writing about this is because knowing this, it absolutely kills me inside when I am not aligned with my true calling. I rely pretty heavily on my gut instincts, and often find that when I do, it usually works out best for me. I have so many interests and often get distracted by a lot of them. Part of me is so conditioned into thinking that I’m leading myself down the wrong path by not making any forward progress (mostly with my career). I often overlook the reasons I got into something in the first place. I don’t have a true calling at the moment, and often get jealous when I see someone who does. My cousin Nate is a perfect example. He’s been fishing since he was young, and he’s turned it into a full blown career. He laughs at his situation all the time because he can’t believe people would pay him to do the thing he would be doing in his free time. I don’t have that, and am so far astray from that place, that it often leaves me feeling lost and a bit hopeless.
I write about my introspective thoughts because I am. I can’t get out of my own space sometimes, and that’s incredibly hard to deal with. I know everyone has their own laundry list of issues, and it’s very hard to relate to people when we are each at different points in our lives. Hopefully, I may be able to provide someone with clarity and insight so you too can align yourself with your inner calling.
Thanks for reading.
With love,
Kai
Weekly Poem:
A river dances down the mountain
Swaying its hips as it changes notes
Until it finds a place of balance
Only then does it know
