The Empty List
Sunday, August 2, 2009 - CHALLENGES
[LIFE'S BIG LISTS]
:: paper-cuts masterfully avoided by @jenilee
In the Western world, having a full schedule is a sign of productivity and usefulness; having nothing to do is a sign of laziness. But Lao-Tzu, the founder of Taosim, says some things need to be empty first before they can become useful. Here's an excerpt from the Tao Te Ching:
Thirty spokes joined at one hub;
emptiness makes the cart useful.
Clay cast into a pot;
the emptiness inside makes it useful.
Doors and windows cut to make a room;
emptiness make the room useful.
Thus being is beneficial
but usefulness comes from the void.
List five things you need to empty, delete, trash or recycle from your life to make yourself useful again.
:: empty-making by Todd Steinberg
spending too much money
eating too much junk food
not exercising
fear of losing a loved one
being impatient
Delete: Procrastination
Empty: Anger/Fear from the past
Trash: Non productive emotions
Recycle: JOY!
Delete: Fear of saying what I feel
Delete: Fear of not doing enough
Delete: Fear of not doing things right
Delete: Selfishness
Recycle: My need for fitness and exercise
ps. Can I add how relieving it is to see that others have the same concerns, self-criticism and doubts I do? Thanks for posting this, Todd. Very helpful, at least for me.
Regret*
Fear
Need to control*
Anger*
Envy*
*Hmmmmmmm looking at it... it looks like they ALL fall into one category: fear.
So with that as my first one, I'll add four more. Because I cheat like that.
- All the art supplies & to-be-recycled goodies that make it nearly impossible to even WALK in here, let alone make anything!!!
- Coffee addiction? Noooo... ;)
- People who don't accept me for who I am.
- The physical pain that feels like a cage and anchor. ><
@susantroche I'm on the same boat with your # 4. Been in that root for about a few weeks now. I can't stand it anymore!!
- LIFE's BIG QUESTIONS
- ATTACK A CHALLENGE
The last 14 yrs of my life