8.2a: Seven Areas to Excel In, Part I

 


In your place of residence, excel in positioning;

In your heart, excel in being open;

In giving, excel in humane benevolence;

Sages, or wise people strive to excel in all they do.  They develop themselves and their abilities in seven specific areas of life: 

1. Positioning: Wise people excel in positioning themselves to create and seize opportunities.  They proactively choose where they will live, where they will work, and where they will love.  They put themselves in the right place at the right time to have the influence and impact they want to create.  So can we.  Our location determines our opportunities and the influence and impact we can have.  We get to choose where we will live out our lives, which areas we will be active in, and what places we will participate in.  We get to pick our battlegrounds.  We don’t have to stay where we have always been just because we’ve always been there.  We can move anywhere or we can stay put and transform our neighborhoods and communities.  We get to decide what’s important to us.  What kind of lifestyle are we looking for?  Where can we find that?  What problems are we looking to solve?  What area is in the greatest need of what we want to create?  Who do we want to help?  Where can we put our individual talents and abilities to best use?  As wise people, we can put ourselves in the best positions to grow and thrive and we can also thrive where we’re planted. A clear vision of where we want to go and what we want to create in our lives is the first step toward positioning ourselves to create that.

2. Hearts: Wise people excel in opening their hearts.  The Way is like avast abyss, all-encompassing that brings life to everything within it.  Our hearts can also be open and vast like the Way.  We can clear away the clutter from our lives and create space for others – for something greater than ourselves, for the neglected and invisible, the shunned and unserved by society.  What is our personal mission, passion, and purpose in this life?  What do we want to create in this world? What legacy do we want to leave to future generations?  Reflect on these questions.  Open our hearts to new possibilities, fresh perspectives, and the unforeseen wonders of the Way.

3. Giving: Wise people excel in giving to others.  As sages, or wise people, we can practice true empathy not just sympathy.  We can give genuinely and develop giving relationships through our shared humanity (仁).  This sort of humanitarian giving acknowledges everyone’s “inalienable human rights” and goes far beyond benevolent welfare.  As the old adage attributed to Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie (1837-1919) goes, “if you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour. If you teach him to catch a fish you do him a good turn.”  Wise people give ennobling hand-ups, not just handouts, to empower the powerless, give hope to the hopeless, and help others find their own paths to purpose and prosperity as trail guides on the Way.  Sharing the belief that there is always a Way, a Way forward, a Way up, a Way out, a Way through, is one of the greatest gifts we can give to another human being in this world. ~ DCB

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