If there is one habit that would really allow our lives to really reach their full potential, it would be to develop the habit of effortless effort. Have you ever noticed that when somebody who’s really good at something does it, it seems to be effortless. In his translation of the Tao Te Ching, Wayne Dyer actually gave a great analogy to talk about the concept of effortless effort.
He used the example of water, something that covers the earth, and makes up a good portion of our own body. Water flows effortlessly, slowly and has been responsible for shaping a good amount of the the earths’ geography. It’s been responsible for breaking down rock formations over thousands of years, and made its way into places where there seems to be almost no space, and effortlessly seeped through. It flows without any force and yet appears to be one of the most powerful forces of nature.
So what does that have to do with us? We live in action driven world. In fact even when we discuss goals, we talk about the importance of taking continual action. But often we force this action because we think that forcing the action will generate a much quicker result. So, how do we begin to cultivate this habit of effortless effort? It’s pretty simple, but not easy. Once we detach from all outcomes and stop trying to force a result, then we tend to flow. Writing is another great place where we see this. I was struggling for a concept for this blog post, and trying to think of what I would write about next, but then I decided to let it come to me. So, learn to let go, and just find your flow. The rest kind of has a way of just working out the way it’s supposed to.
Tags: Tao Te Ching, Effortless Effort, Goals, outcome detachment, Wayne Dyer
