Yin, Yang and Ho'oponopono

A couple months ago, about the time I was listening to a to a YouTube recording of the Tao Te Ching, I took a shower, which typically would be uneventful, but I was able to conceptualize the concept of Yin and Yang in this particular instance of showering. I was very excited, especially since the Yin and Yang phenomenon is cliché, unassuming, and thoroughly difficult to truly understand.

In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu writes:

The Way gave birth to unity,
Unity gave birth to duality,
Duality Gave birth to trinity,
Trinity Gave birth to the myriad creatures

The myriad creatures bear yin on their backs
             and embrace yang in their hearts
They neutralize these vapors
             and thereby achieve harmony

There is no better way to explain the concept of yin and yang that I have come across.

Recently in my continuing study of The Success Principles, I realized my vapors were creating a thick fog, especially when it came to acknowledging my past successes. Great relationships with lots of good times ended badly, and I forgot the good times ever happened. A successful 5-year run at a company ended with me stretching a little further for a promotion than I was capable of at the time, and I forgot that I learned public speaking and all sorts of things about finance and retirement plans. I didn't notice that I went back to school after I left the job, got my MBA and learned everything that I needed to know, becoming the person I was trying to be when I took the promotion originally.

Jack Canfield wrote, "the more you acknowledge your successes, the more confident you become." I needed to find a way to neutralize the fog that obscured my vision, which I did in a simple mantra called Ho'oponopono.

I love you.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

The Hawaiian chant of Ho'oponopono is utterly disarming. It's my way of balancing and neutralizing the vapors that obstruct my vision (in the metaphysical sense), and I use the chant to return to positive thinking when I have strayed from that course of thought.

Consistent and Persistent Action

I've always made a point to do at least two things a day that drive me towards my goal. Currently, I'm job searching, so that means 2 job applications, everyday. As I continue to read through Jack Canfield's   The Success Principles, I'm realizing that my current approach is only getting me 40% of the way there. Why only 40%? Jack has a rule of 5. So does John Maxwell, although his "Rule of 5" is a bit more specific and has more to do with self development than simply accomplishing something. 

Regardless of who came up with the idea or how the idea is applied, two people, much smarter and more accomplished than me believe that consistent and persistent action happens 5 times a day, not 2. Using the rule of 2, I currently have 53 active job applications. How many would I have if I had done 250% more work? 130+? Maybe. 

There are other ways that consistent and persistent actions show themselves, though. There are phone conversations, blog posts and other ways of "getting the message out." Part of consistent and persistent action is having a broad based approach. Simply put, you're more likely to find your keys, if you look in more than one drawer.

Thinking about prosperity

After listening to Wallace Wattles's Magnum Opus, The Science of Getting Rich, over and over again, or at least two or three times, I figure I have at least heard the concept that thinking about prosperity will bring abundance to me over the due course of time. However, there is the tricky part of actually being ready for that abundance and prosperity.

Last night, I came across a TED Talk on introversion. At one point, Susan Cain talks about how great spiritual leaders (Jesus, Moses, etc.) go out into the wild. Then they take what they discover in the wilderness back into society.

What is interesting is that I don't hear a lot about urbanites going out into the wilderness to find themselves, alone. I can think of one person in all my experience that made a point to go into the woods by himself for any extended period of time. And when I heard he was doing this, I did ask him why he would do such a thing, and he responded with something about finding himself. Perhaps, more of us should consider the personal journey into the wilderness, so we can find ourselves, as well.

Hanging on the Vine

Staying connected to our life force--the divine, Jesus, Buddha, or what ever you'd like to call it--is a balancing act. The goal, as illustrated in the Christian Tradition (John 15), is simply to abide or be present with the divine. We do not try to act or mimic the divine, for that is a standard we cannot achieve. Instead, we let the divine work through us.

If I were to grow a tomato plant (I'm not too familiar with grapes, which are used in the classic story), I would stake the plant up, so it would produce the most fruit. I do not have any control of whether or not the plant actually bears fruit. Perhaps, I could order a box of honey bees to increase the chances of pollination, but ultimately, all I can do is make sure the plant gets sunlight and water. And, at some point in the summer, I'm probably going to get a tomato or two.

This phenomenon is perhaps likewise in our own personal growth. I do not have control of when the work that I'm doing will produce results. While I can do many things that make results more likely, I do not know exactly when a business opportunity will take off. All I can do is stake myself up (be it with education or otherwise) and be patient. All that is really important is that I (like the vine) stay attached to my life force (or roots).