The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.
They were careful
as someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapable as a block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Clear as a glass of water.
Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment..
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.”― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Napoleon had rules. Any correspondence that was received was not to be opened for 3 weeks. Many issues, when finally addressed, simply resolved themselves without needing his attention. Furthermore, he was not to be woken up with good news, and instead only alerted immediately if there was bad news which needed attention immediately.
Epictetus: If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid about extraneous matters.
Aurelius: Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?”
We’d rather make ourselves miserable than make ourselves a priority.
L’essential est invisible pour les yeux. What’s essential is invisible to the eye.
Journaling
The best journals aren’t for the reader; they are for the writer.
Seneca wrote in his journal daily, going over what he had said and done that day. “Hiding nothing from myself, nothing passing me by.”
Ask yourself deep questions while journaling: Where am I standing in my own way? What’s the smallest step I can take toward a big goal today? Why am I so worked up about this? What blessings can I count right now? Why do I care so much about impressing people? What is the harder choice I am avoiding? Do I rule my fears, or do they rule me? How will today’s difficulties reveal my character?
Reading
Tolstoy: I cannot understand how some people can live without communicating with the wisest people who have ever lived on Earth.
Epictetus: Most of us would be seized with fear if our bodies went numb, and would do everything possible to avoid it, yet we take no interest at all in the numbing of our souls.