More Than Gold, Silver or Bronze

When discussing the Taoist concept of wu wei, one way I have described it several times before is like what athletes refer to as being "in the zone." The athlete doesn't consciously think about what steps, techniques or moves to make. Because of their discipline and training, they simply react intuitively. Like a twig in a stream, they flow with the current instead of plotting out a precise course to get from Point A to Point B.

With the Winter Olympics ongoing, the various athletes competing for medals offer many apt illustrations of this principle. However, I've realized that it would be a grave mistake to point at those who've won gold, silver or bronze medals as the ones who best exemplify wu wei as opposed to many of the other athletes who have fallen short of these goals.

In my view, wu wei doesn't necessarily equate with the pinnacle of success. An athlete can be "in the zone" and still fail. Sometimes things happen and, despite the fact the athlete reacts to the circumstances in the best way possible, things still go wrong.

Last night I was watching the men's figure skating finals. One of the American skaters -- I think it was Johnny Weir -- was skating a new flawless program. Near the end of his routine, it appeared that one of his skates nicked a rough spot in the ice and this caused him to lose his balance slightly. This did not happen because he wasn't paying attention; it was simply a small imperfection in the surface of the ice -- one that would be difficult to spot while moving at a brisk speed -- caused by one of the previous skaters.

Returning to the twig in the stream, all could be going well until the little twig is crushed by a tree falling into the river or it could be devoured by a fish or an animal.

In essence, while going with the flow cuts down on stress and tension (from fighting the current), it doesn't mean that any of us will end up victorious. It simply means we will more quickly flow toward our destiny -- whatever that may be.