Effortless Success
What can a 2,600 year old Chinese book teach us about life, the universe, and internet marketing?
We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbell
When I was 16 or so, living behind the Pine Curtain in darkest East Texas, I had a girlfriend who went to a boarding school in Austin. She came home on holidays and during the summer, and I looked to her as my messenger from the civilized world. That summer, she brought home a copy of the Tao Te Ching, which fascinated me- although I couldn’t really understand it. She thought it was hilarious when I picked up the book and pronounced the title:
“Tao Day Ching”
In Texas, most of us speak a little Spanish, or Spanglish, and “ching” has a whole ‘nother meaning.
I found out later, when I took Oriental Philosophy in college that it was pronounced “Dow te Jhing.” At least, that’s as close as I can get it.
Taking that course, and the advanced Oriental Philosophy course the next semester, totally ruined me for normalcy. I particularly liked the concept of “wu-wei.”
Wu wei (traditional Chinese: 無為; simplified Chinese: 无为; pinyin: wúwéi) is an important concept of Taoism (Daoism), that involves knowing when to act and when not to act. Another perspective to this is that “Wu Wei” means natural action – as planets revolve around the sun, they “do” this revolving, but without “doing” it; or as trees grow, they “do”, but without “doing”. Thus knowing when (and how) to act is not knowledge in the sense that one would think “now” is the right time to do “this”, but rather just doing it, doing the natural thing.
Wu may be translated as not have or without; Wei may be translated as do, act, serve as, govern or effort. The literal meaning of Wu Wei is “without action” and is often included in the paradox wei wu wei: “action without action” or “effortless doing”. The practice of wu wei and the efficacy of wei wu wei are fundamental tenets in Chinese thought and have been mostly emphasized by the Taoist school. The aim of wu wei is to achieve a state of perfect equilibrium, or alignment with the Tao, and, as a result, obtain an irresistible form of “soft and invisible” power.
There is another less commonly referenced sense of wu wei; “action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort”. In this instance, Wu means “without” and Wei means “effort”. The concept of “effortless action” is a part of Taoist Internal martial arts such as Tai chi, Baguazhang and Xing Yi… wikipedia
Our textbooks for that class included several books by Alan Watts. Right now, on the table by my bed (where I do my non-business reading) are 3 of his books, including his book of Zen and “Tao, the Watercourse Way.” I’ve read them so much that the pages are loose in the binding, and yet, every time I re-read those little books, I find a new jewel- a new insight.
I’ve got a half-dozen translations of the Tao Te Ching- the newest and my current favorite is by Stephen Mitchell.
I’ve discovered that when I’m doing my best marketing, my best writing, and my best living, I’m practicing wu-wei. Flowing with the Tao. Effortlessly doing. Effortlessly succeeding.
As you (probably) know, I had major surgery December 23rd. The surgeon removed my left knee, and replaced it with a titanium and teflon contraption. When I say “they removed my left knee,” I mean they took what sounded like a Husqvarna chain saw and cut that sucker right out. Then they drilled holes in the remaining bones to attach the teflon and titanium contraption, which they glued in.
Consequently, since 12/23/08 I haven’t done a lot of internet marketing- or much else. Between the physical therapy, the “discomfort,” and the drugs, I’ve been pretty much on the sidelines for two months.
Here’s the cool part: my Portable Empire has just kept on rocking.
That’s today’s marketing lesson: The secret to a successful online business is multiple streams of passive income.
While I’m working out on the treadmill at physical therapy, or gazing into the middle distance with a dull glazed expression (hydrocodone), or just whining to Betsy about the fact that having your knee extracted with a chain saw hurts, my inventory of online products keep selling.
People don’t stop having problems just because I’m distracted.
The Portable Empire method is based on solving problems.
So, if someone is curious about passive income, they can pick up a copy of The Myth of Passive Income, for example, and learn how successful internet marketers achieve (or not) passive income and live the passive income lifestyle.
Or, if a person has a problem with the “nuts and bolts” of the Internet Marketing world- how to make web pages, put ‘em online, create a product, and where to find the free software to do all that, they can get a copy of the Freedom Power Workbook and start building their own Portable Empire.
Or, if their money problems stem from an “inner game” problem- toxic self-talk, incorrect beliefs, etc., they can pick up a copy of “Clearing Money,” which is one of the Clearing Audios I’ve created with Dr. Joe Vitale, and start Clearing immediately.
I’ve lost track- I don’t know how many products I have online. I also don’t know where all of them are, and I’ve hired somebody to go through all my servers and find ‘em all. That’s a handy little problem to have- hundreds of sites scattered around the world wide web, and each one solves a problem for somebody.
This little vacation has been a reminder that the Portable Empire System works. Anybody can build one. You just put up one site. Then the next. Over time, you build a matrix of sites that solve problems- and send money to your bank account.
Even when you’re just sitting, looking out into space, and kinda missing your old knee.
Here’s where the wu-wei kicks in.
I don’t recall doing much work in the last two months. I certainly haven’t lived my business life by any kind of a plan lately. And yet, there are blog posts. As a consideration to my readers, I didn’t post any pictures of my impressive scar- but the blog posts are there.
The videos from UnSeminar 5 are done. The DVDs got duplicated and the graphics are gorgeous.
I’ve managed to get about 100 pages into a rough draft for my new book- mostly by writing in my journal.
I’ve hired a new employee- look for my websites and SEO strategies to improve rapidly.
I’ve brainstormed with Dr. Joe Vitale and helped him come up with a way to put this current financial unpleasantness away for potentially millions of people.
And all of this got done with absolutely no effort on my part.
Over at the Milagro World Forum, me and about 1,200 of my closest friends are designing UnSeminar 6- it looks like we’re going to the beach!
I’m learning that I can get a lot done by pushing myself, driving myself, and trying to “out-work” everybody else- but, I can get just as much done by playing. Going with the flow. Finding the next interesting distraction or puzzle and doing that… it hasn’t felt like work at all.
So- join me.
Get your Portable Empire up and running.
And give wu-wei a shot. You may be surprised.
I was.
12 Responsesto “Effortless Success”
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I’m new to your website… I just wanted to add that from my energy healing and muscle testing that joint replacement is mostly due to the little bug causing Lyme Disease.
Both me and my partner have made a study of this problem and the more I know of this, the more sure I am that all this joint problems are the little spirochete of Lyme disease.
Good Luck with your joints! MMS or water purification drops will take care of this little bug and all other bad microorganisms.
Blessings,
Taylore
PS: Some useful links: Water Purification Drops (MMS)
Alternative Health Products and MMS
Hope your knee is continuing to heel. Sounds like you are on your way to being the bionic man.
Loving this post! Lots of thought-motivation! Wu wei brings me to thoughts of Being versus doing.
p.s. I carry the pocket version of Steven Mitchell’s translation. John C. Wu is another good one.
Thanks for always prompting us to our next level.
thanks for all the great comments- keep ‘em comin’
and wu-wei is very different from woo-woo, although i can make room for both. good catch.
and (and) thanks for putting up with me bitching about my knee. it’s better every day.
Wu Wei. Different from woo-woo.
Pat, my empathy for your knee. Take it easy and let it heal.
And thank you for summing up my Ultimate Goal in five words. I’ve been wasting words trying to explain it even to myself, when it was so simple. What I want is:
“multiple streams of passive income”
Pretty much sums it up.
Great thought-provoking post, Pat. When we have to force things and deal with conflict we’re out of alignment with our highest good.
I also really like the Mitchell Tao, and not just because he’s Byron Katie’s husband. He has a wonderful way of expressing the essence in modern cultural terms that I miss in other translations.
“Multiple streams of income,” passive or not, is a concept that I have been trying to drill into the brains of my friends for years. A few listened, most didn’t. I now see those who didn’t all over the social networking sites, desperately seeking another single source of income to replace their unemployment checks. Those who “got it” are enjoying the freedom that comes from being unencumbered by their J. O. B.
Financial prosperity tends to be cyclic, like the flow of a stream. Although the chaotic runoff of early spring can be very exciting, and it’s power can literally change the face of the Earth, I get even more pleasure from the gentle flow of late summer and fall. The stillness of winter is a great time for reflection and meditation and cleansing in preparation for the next spring. It is all good, if we choose to allow that perception, and “go with the flow.”
When Napoleon Hill wrote and Roosevelt spoke the words “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” it was a slightly different time, but even then they could have written it as “There is nothing to fear but fear itself—and the news media that fertilizes it.”
Natural, organic, bovine-sourced fertilizer, I might add …
Hey Pat! Check out Stephen Mitchell’s NEWEST book…”The Second Book of the Tao”. Talk about epiphanies…
http://www.stephenmitchellbooks.com/transAdapt/secondTao.html
Jim
I always find campbell inspiring.I’ve been practicing more and more daily surrender of what I thought my life should be like,to make room for what God really has in store for me.
Wu Wei. Hmmmm, seems to have gotten me into a position of wanting to be in your position. I’ll have to think more about that when I get there.
In the meantime, I’m going to get back to playing with computer stuff and having fun.
Me, too.
I put my take on the tao here:
http://www.wordless.us/Tao.html
where I chickened out on selling anything. But here’s the quote that goes to your point:
“There are few in the world who attain to the teaching without words, and the advantage arising from non-action.”
Wu Wei!?!
[...] Read his whole story at his blog. [...]
Right on Pat. Effortless success. I don’t really know if there’s any other kind, to be honest! Here’s to your new knee, be kind to it.
So much good stuff in here, I’m not sure what to say. I’m still mulling over the Campbell quote:
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Joseph Campbell
I think I’ll have to spend some more time turning this one over in my mind. I’ll have to reread this post several times before I can glean all of the fat juicy kernels here. Thank you for this.
Buz