Episode 007 – “The Law of Non-Doing”: How to Make Life Easier By Not Trying So Hard

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Note: This blog post serves as an accompaniment to the corresponding podcast episode of A Changed Mind, where we’ll distill down the core ideas of this week’s theme, along with additional distinctions and insights. If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can go here to do so.  Enjoy.

The “Law Of Non-Doing”: How To Make Life Easier By Not Trying So Hard

Can we really accomplish more by doing less and make our lives easier by not trying so hard?  

It might seem counterintuitive, but this idea has been pondered for thousands of years.  Dating back to the Confucian times of ancient China, the concept of “wu wei”, which translates to effortless action, was commonly used to refer to an ideal form of government, particularly in regard to how a good emperor should behave.  

The Taoist philosophy took “wu wei” a step further to describe a state of personal harmony and free-flowing spontaneity, suggesting that this concept of “non-doing” applied less to the state of government and more to an intrinsic state of spirit or mind that we can all practice.

So today, I want to unpack this idea and talk about this “law of non-doing”, and how we can apply it to our lives to achieve more, better align ourselves with the Universe, make a greater impact – and do so without the effort.  I believe this warrants discussion in the society we live in – now more than ever – since we’ve been so programmed to believe that the answer to most of life’s problems is to “work harder” and that those who do the most get all the spoils.

Hustle & Grind vs. Ease & Flow

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t buy much into the “hustle & grind” culture that we live in.  Nor do I believe that accomplishing our goals or living a prosperous life is directly attributed to the strategies or plans we follow.  

In fact, I believe that strategy and, by extension, what we do to achieve our desires and create the lives we want, is merely an effect – or a byproduct – of the way we are.  In other words, it’s our “being” that determines our “doing”, which reflects what we accomplish in life.

Let’s unpack this more starting with a story.

Recently, I was going through my daily meditation practice.  I go into each one of these practices with an intention or a question I’m hoping to have answered and Spirit (or God, the Universe, Source, Intelligence – whatever you want to call it) provides me with some guidance.  In this particular session, I asked something to the effect of:

“What do I need to do in order to be of greater service to you (Spirit)?”

And I received an answer I wasn’t expecting.  Spirit immediately hit me with the response: 

“You don’t need to be doing anything different.  Rather than think about what you need to do, learn how to ride my wave.”

Now, I’m not much of a surfer, but I was immediately brought into a vision of me riding a surfboard.  I interpreted this answer I’d received that I should focus on grounding myself, learning how to be balanced, and connecting with the earth.  

This is interesting because I’ve actually been deepening my grounding practice recently and spending time every day touching my bare feet to Mother Earth so that I can reset my vibration and remove the dissonant energy from my body, along with all of the stress, anxiety, and unintelligent thinking that comes with it.

So in a way, I was basically told to keep doing what I’ve been doing, which isn’t really anything at all.  When I’m in a grounding practice and walking around barefoot in nature, I’m not doing it with the goal of accomplishing something, I’m simply existing with intention.  I’m being one with the Earth.  I’m practicing the “wu wei” art of effortless action.

The vision I was having expanded – it zoomed out, so to speak – and I saw my body standing on this surfboard riding the wave of Spirit.  And I was reminded that Spirit (or God, the Universe, Source, Intelligence) is really all that exists.   All that exists is consciousness – and we’re all interconnected through the thoughts we have, the emotions that we feel – but we’re bound together by this great big body of radiance that has no beginning and no end.  Buddhists call it “the ocean of life”.

And we’re all just riding this wave.  So when it comes to thinking about what we need to do, build, or create in order to achieve our goals in life, it’s important to realize that we’re not really creating anything ourselves, we’re simply allowing creation itself to operate through us.

We’ve all experienced what it feels like to tap into a “flow state” – when we’re not entangled with our limiting beliefs, when we don’t have any resistance in the way when we’re living in our joy, when we’re not in financial insecurity when we’re not focused on the physical challenges that we may be experiencing with our bodies.  Instead, we feel totally at peace, we’re calm, we’re collected, we’re open, allowing, and receiving.

This is what Spirit reminded me to think about via this vision of me on a surfboard, riding its wave.  It encouraged me to be flexible, to move, to elegantly and intentionally respond to the twists, turns, and bumps that life inevitably throws our way, and to maintain my balance – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The Importance of Setting Intentions (And Riding The Right Waves)

Now I don’t know if you’ve ever been surfing, but to continue with the metaphor, you don’t actually go out into the ocean and try to catch every wave, because there are some waves that aren’t quite ready for you to ride.  They’re premature waves, so you just float over the top of them.  Other times a wave breaks out in front of you and you’ve got to dive under it to avoid facing it crashing right on top of you.

But then there are those “perfect” waves that are just right.  So you paddle with them, plant your feet and get into the proper stance, and ride them freely.  I can’t think of a better analogy for life and all the decisions we’re making.

Most people react to their circumstances and situations.  Or they spend so much time planning and trying to figure out the right move, that they struggle to adapt when a curveball gets thrown at them, which we all know is inevitable.  Most people aren’t intentional with the moves they make, the actions they take, the thoughts they think, and the emotions they feel at any given moment.

But what if you were?  

What if you were more intentional about where you invested your time in your business?
Or how you spend each hour of your day?
Or about the people you spend time with?  

What if we choose better waves?
What if we were more intentional with every little decision we made?
What if we trusted that Spirit was always guiding us?

These aren’t difficult questions, nor is it rocket science.  The choices and decisions we make are one of the few things we have true control of in our lives.  But rather than thinking we need to “figure things out” or come up with the perfect plan for every goal we have, what if we were just a little bit more intentional and selective?

After all, you don’t have to ride every wave.  In life, as in surfing, you pick the waves that are perfectly designed to deliver you to the vision you have for your life.  So you should choose the ones that are most aligned with that vision.  

Choose the ones that bring you joy.  Choose the ones that are intelligent.  This applies to the foods you eat, the exercise you do, the content you consume, the friends you spend time with, the family members you keep in your life, and the opinions you have of yourself.  Do the best you can to make every thought you think, decision you make, and action you take in alignment with your desires.

But don’t force it.  Practice the art of non-doing, of allowing.  Remember, we’re talking about effortless action here and learning how to ride the wave on the ocean of life more effectively.

Non-Doing Your Way Through The Challenges Of Life 

Inevitably, challenges will arise and we’ll experience turbulence in our lives.  Things will happen, limiting beliefs will crop up, and circumstances will change.  Life will throw you those curveballs – unexpected bills, losing a job, ending a relationship, getting a less-than-ideal health diagnosis.  Recessions, pandemics, wars – those things will keep happening for as long as each of us lives.

But that doesn’t mean we have to ride those waves.  We don’t have to get entangled with those external circumstances that show up as part of the experience of our life. We can allow them to pass.  Easier said than done?  Perhaps.

But think of all the times in your life when you faced challenges, went through adversity, and felt like life was working against you.  Looking back, it’s easy to see that those challenges have made us stronger, more capable, more adaptive individuals.  They’ve made us more faithful and trusting that a Higher Power has always had our back.  They’ve been part of the synchronicities that have connected us to the circumstances and situations that have resulted in the things we actually cherish most in our lives.

With that realization, we can really start to believe that in each present moment experience, as uncomfortable as the wave we’re riding might be, is just part of an ocean of love that we’re swimming in.  That in every moment, we’re being given a new opportunity to have a vision, desires, goals, and dreams.  And every single one of them will come true if we stay grounded with my feet firmly planted and balanced on the earth – or the surfboard. 

How To Accomplish More By Doing Less 

A simple way to put this all into practice is to think about all of the things that bring you joy in life – the things that make you feel in harmony with the Universe.

For you, it might be surfing or sailing.  It might be practicing a martial art, running, or hiking in nature.  Maybe you’re a singer or a musician, and you find yourself in a “flow state” anytime you’re practicing your instrument.  Maybe you like working on engines, woodworking, or painting.  Perhaps playing with your kids and being fully present is the best part of your day.

Whatever those things are – do more of them.  But realize, you’re not really “doing” anything at all.  You’re simply being.  You’re riding the wave.  You’re aligned with Spirit.  It’s effortless.

And in the times when you find yourself trying to figure something out or forcing your way through a particular situation and you can feel the tension building in your body, consider that you might be choosing a wave that isn’t meant for you to ride.  Take a step back and take a deep breath.  Give yourself permission to not feel so much pressure.  Do less – I guarantee it’ll help you accomplish more.