Good day, fellow Alchemists:
Struggle is a lesson we are taught to endure. As if nothing can be accomplished unless we pour our heart and soul into a single task, shedding blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen. While there is plenty of wisdom in knowing the importance of hard work, the wisest people in history were ones who simplified their actions and achieved more by doing less.
This is a major tenet in Taoism, which emphasizes the importance of non-action, or what Taoist practitioners call Wu Wei. It's hard for Western minds to grasp this concept. After all, how can something be done by not doing? To understand this, we must observe nature, specifically plants, which embody the concept of Wu Wei quite adeptly.
All plants absorb sunlight, clean our air, produce sugars and oxygen, all while doing absolutely nothing. Instead of scouring the globe in search of food, plants only grow where nutrients are available. Many plants, when faced with an obstacle, will slowly and methodically adapt to their environment, reaching out their leaves towards the slightest glimmer of sunlight. Some plants rely on the breeze to swiftly carry their spores and germanate other areas of their environment, furthering their independence from proactive action.
Surely, at this point, you might be thinking: Well, I'm not a plant so how does this help me?
The fact is that you are most likely already engaged in non-doing throughout your day. Waiting for the water to boil to make your coffee, waiting for your pizza to be delivered, meditating to calm your mind, and even sleeping to regain your strength, are all actions completed by not doing anything. Logically, you know that any action during these circumstances won't improve the situation, yet when it comes to other facets of life, we all tend to act impatiently, taking more actions than necessary.
A good example of this is bodybuilding. Once you've completed a workout and eat according to your meal plan, there is very little you can do that would be of any benefit to your desired goal. Working out more could actually be detrimental to your health and may have a negative impact on your end results.
Non-action is especially important when it comes to manifesting.
The most decisive obstacle we face when it comes to our manifestations is how we believe we should conduct ourselves to attract the things we want. Once we send out the vibration of wanting something, the worst thing you can do is approach the manifestation from a lack point-of-view. Always act AS-IF you already have that which you desire. After attuning yourself to the vibration properly, it is sometimes best to do as little as possible regarding the issue. This enables the reality in which you have already received your desired outcome.
By allowing the universe to take shape around you, a new reality can be formed in accordance with your wants and needs.
Just as plants grow where life is viable, so too, will you thrive when you learn to let go and trust in the ever-listening universe that waits by your side on your manifesting journey.
With love and sincerity,
The Alchemy by LA Counsel
