The Way and the Power of Virtue

The best leaders are those whose subordinates know that they are there for them; The next best leaders see and are seen by their subordinates and are praised by them; Next are those leaders who are feared by and threaten their subordinates; Next are those who are reviled by their subordinates  – everyone’s criticism flows like a woman’s hair. When there is insufficient trust in upper leadership,  there is untrustworthiness among subordinates. Even when far away, people value their words. When successes are achieved and matters attended to,  the masses all proclaim: “we did it on our own.” This passage describes the Way of a Leader .   The best leaders are those whose subordinates know that their leaders are there for them.  The next best are those who see – and are seen by – their subordinates as whole people rather than just an object or an asset to be used .  Such leaders are approachable and show up for their subordinates in holistic ...

  Understanding constancy leads to becoming all-encompassing.   Becoming all-encompassing leads to impartiality. Becoming impartial leads to nobility, nobility leads to becoming heavenly.    Becoming heavenly is the Way, and t he Way is long-enduring,  and until the body is buried there will be no self-imposed misfortune. Understanding, or possessing knowledge of the constants in our own lives increases awareness of the constants of those around us – the deep seated motivations and aspirations of soul that stay with them throughout their lives.   The greater our understanding of constancy the more encompassing, accepting, and embracing we become.   Like an all-encompassing valley with an equal place and opportunity for all, understanding constancy expands our vision of ourselves and others, opens our minds and hearts to new thoughts and perspectives, and empowers us to embrace differences and diversity.   We become great-hearted and ...

  Returning home to our roots is called serenity – returning to the wellspring of our souls.  Serenity is called returning to our destinies – our life’s mandates. Returning to our destiny is called constancy.   Understanding constancy is called enlightenment. Not understanding constancy, one acts blindly,  as if trapped in a pit, and brings misfortune. To experience renewal, regeneration, and growth, each of us needs to return to our roots, strengthen the deep taproot of our souls , and experience a joyous homecoming after long periods disconnected from our core – our true selves.   We need to return to the nourishing and life giving wellspring of our souls , and drink deeply from its strengthening and sustaining waters.   Doing so brings renewed levels of serenity, along with clarity of identity and purpose.   This, in turn, helps us embrace our place in the universe , to become more embracing and encompassing , to more selflessly serve oth...

  Things burst forth, like plants budding in the spring, And yet each one returns home again and again to its roots.   The imagery of plants blooming in spring is both beautiful and powerful.   After a long, cold season of dormancy, in which the natural world patiently waits and bides its time, the conditions are finally right for massive growth.   Spring rains, longer days, warmer temperatures act as a catalyst for a veritable explosion of new buds, blooms, and blossoms as life begins to release and unlock the latent potential stored up inside.   During such times everything comes back to life.   Everything stretches and extends itself, reaching farther to unprecedented heights, growing bigger and stronger, creating more abundance, and reproducing the next generation to ensure ongoing survival and invest in the future.   There is a powerful lesson here for each of us.   Though we cannot always fully control when the external conditions for ma...

  Reaching emptiness is the utmost,  safeguarding serenity is the steadiness of a surefooted steed. The myriad things are formed together, herein I observe them coming, going, and returning. To reach emptiness to the furthest extent possible is the utmost limit.  It is the opposite of being completely full of ourselves.  The world tries to convince us that the secret to happiness is filling ourselves up.  We erroneously believe that we need to puff ourselves up with hollow accolades and accomplishments and fill our bank accounts with abundant incomes and investments.  There is nothing inherently wrong with the accumulation of wealth nor in accepting the praise and heartfelt gratitude of others.  It is only a problem when we associate our self-worth with our booming bank balances and our superfluous social media “likes” that we run the risk of losing ourselves.  As Bruce Lee (1940-1973) stated: “Emptiness is the starting point. — In order to...

Who can be stirred up and use serenity to move toward greater clarity?   Who can be at rest and use serenity to move toward steady growth? Those who preserve this Way, have no desire to be overfilled.   It is only because they are not overfilled that they can be tattered like grass and yet reformed anew.   There is a fine line between being fired up and passionate and overzealous.   A balance must be struck between action and reflection.   We cannot just let our passion carry us away.   We need not rush heedless down the path.   As the saying, “I don’t know where I’m going but I’m making good time!” attests, sometimes we need to slow down, get our bearings, get in touch with our true selves, and gain clarity.   Sometimes we get so caught up in the ride, it is important to build in some down time for self-care, stillness , and serenity.   It is in those down times that we can gain increasing clarity of our inherent worth and purpose. ...

  Since their depths were unfathomable, I will strain to make an encompassing description: Cautious as if crossing a river in winter; Alert, as if endangered on all sides. Respectful as a guest; Free-flowing as thick ice beginning to melt. Solid as an uncarved block; open as a valley; stirred up as a turbulent river.   When forced to try and give the ancient exemplars of the Way an all-encompassing description, the Old Master came up with seven characteristics: cautiousness and alertness, respect and generosity, solidarity, openness, and passion.   First, cautiousness and alertness.   In picking their path and making their Way, the ancient exemplars were cautious as if they were making a winter river crossing.   In the old days, prior to freeways and bridges, river crossings were potentially dangerous – one misstep could result in being swept away and even death.   Given the inherent risks, meticulous care was taken in scouting a safe way acr...

  Of old, those who excelled at the Way, Were subtle, amazing, mysterious, and interconnective, Their depths were unfathomable. The ancient Exemplars of the Way – those Wayfinders and Waymakers – had unique characteristics.   They were subtle, they focused on little things, started small, determined first steps, and were detail-oriented.   They worked behind the scenes and out of the limelight.   Nothing is too small or insignificant for their attention.   By starting small, nurturing seeds, and encouraging unseen potential, they made incremental progress and ultimately worked wonders.     They were also amazing, in its original sense of the word – a maze!   While most people get lost in their own lives, thoughts, and feelings, the ancient Exemplars recognized that life is a maze – and they made their Way through it.   They wove their Way through their own limiting labels  and beliefs, untangled their own internal issues, and wo...