wu-wei means effortlessness

wu-wei means effortlessness

Have you ever heard someone say “well, that was really a blessing” when referring to some tragedy in their life? You know, they got injured in an accident or something. And, looking back on the experience, they express gratitude for it because it turned out to be a real blessing.

A friend of mine lost her job a while back. She used the time to really focus on herself and her spiritual growth. It ultimately led to her being in a better position in her life. I had coffee with her the other day and asked her if she felt that losing her job was a blessing. She said, “Well, I made it a blessing.”

That may seem a little arrogant, but that’s the reality of what this site is about. She had a choice when looking at the circumstances of her life. Instead of trying to find the meaning, she decided to create the meaning in the situation she found herself living in. She made a choice of being positive and creating something new out of the challenge she faced.

How often do you face challenges and ask “why am I facing this?” Instead, try looking at the challenge and asking “how can I turn this into something good and valuable in my life?” By choosing to focus on herself as a spiritual being during a time of crisis, she was able to connect with her higher self and with the Source. Her analytical mind and intuitive mind worked together to move her through the situation and into a better one.

But, it did not happen without effort and attentiveness on her part. That’s one of the things about the spiritual laws. I often hear people tell me that what I’m talking about is sitting around waiting for something to happen… meditation and other spiritual practices can look like that to the casual observer. There is so much more going on: practice, discipline, effortless action, and intuitive/analytical alignment. These all take consistent effort. The daily use of these tools makes life more effortless.

Effort leads to effortlessness. And that’s a blessing we could all use.