Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao Book

At some point today, notice an instance of annoyance or irritation you have with another person or situation. Decide to do the Tao (or practice the Way) in that moment by turning inward with curiosity about where you are on the continuum between desire and allowing. Permit the paradox of wanting the irritant to vanish and allowing it to be what it is.

As I was attempting to read through and absorb this very first lesson, I was given an excellent opportunity to put it into practice. My 13 year old son was thoughtful enough to provide several irritants in quick succession that included complaints, demands, banging on the table with drumsticks, tormenting the cat and then tossing the cat into my office onto the back of my chair, pounding the piano and calling it music, switching to trumpet playing where he snuck up behind me quietly and blasted the trumpet right behind my head, slamming doors, yelling "Mom! Mom!" for no reason, singing off key loudly, and sharing his opinion with me of why he prefers his friend Cole's mother to myself. I attempted to permit the paradox and allow it to be what it is, but I would need several Xanax to pull that off so ended up back where I just wanted the irritant to vanish and called his father to come and get him early. At first the ex said that wasn't possible and I again got to feel annoyance and irritation, but took a few deep breaths, poured some rum into my diet Coke and put on my iPod set to Beth Orton's "Ooh Child." Sure enough, I started to feel better and eventually the ex showed up and they drove off together, leaving me with the peace I sought. On to the 2nd Verse, "Living the Paradoxical Unity." (???)

UPDATE, July 10: I'm really enjoying the book and learning a lot that I can apply to my life. As part of the 24th verse, "Living Without Excess," there is this lovely poem by Hafiz:

Even
After
All this time
The Sun never says to the earth,
"You owe
Me."
Look
What happens
With a love like that,
It lights the
Whole
Sky.

I finished reading the book all the way through and though I don't take every single verse of the Tao to heart, there is enough good here that I purchased my own copy, since I also had a 40% off coupon and got the paperback. I especially enjoyed the poem above, and this:

Woman With Flower

I wouldn't coax the plant if I were you.
Such watchful nurturing may do it harm.
Let the soil rest from so much digging
and wait until it is dry before you water it.
The leaf is inclined to find it's own direction;
give it a chance to seek the sunlight for itself.

Much growth is stunted by too careful prodding, too eager tenderness.
The things we love we have to learn to leave alone.

Naomi Long Madgett