The Daoist principle of effortless action (無為/wuwei) should apply to everything we do no matter whether we are balancing the books or tying a knot. The only way we can achieve it is by assiduously cultivating the Dao like a great athlete training to ensure that they are “in the zone” for a major competition. Continue reading In the zone
Monthly Archives: March 2015
Watching the baggage train
More leadership advice from the Daodejing: stay calm at all times and don’t allow yourself to be distracted from what is most important – even by the most magnificent of views. Continue reading Watching the baggage train
Naming the nameless
Laozi was truly revolutionary in developing the theory that the origin of the universe wasn’t a god or some form of supernatural being, but even he couldn’t find the right name to call it by – preferring instead to employ vague metaphors such as the way, the great, and the mother of all things under heaven to describe it. Continue reading Naming the nameless
Leftovers and tumors
Very similar sentiments to those expressed in Chapter 22, though with an even more acerbic sting in the tail. Laozi must have seen more than his fair share of such posers in his position as head librarian for the Eastern Zhou Dynasty court. Continue reading Leftovers and tumors
Don’t follow the crowd
In our noisy connected age, the idea of not promoting yourself sounds counter-intuitive to say the least. How can we stand out in a highly-competitive age if we don’t let everyone know about the wonderful skills and talents we have even if they primarily consist of looking great in a selfie? Continue reading Don’t follow the crowd
straw dog
A straw dog (芻狗) or rather a hemp pig waiting to be sacrificed in Ruifang (瑞芳) yesterday. Continue reading straw dog
The essential paradox
More on the essential paradox of the Dao: even if you can’t see or touch it, you know instinctively that it’s there deep inside you. Continue reading The essential paradox
The outsider
Adrian Mole or Meursault from The Outsider (L’Étranger)? Perhaps with a dash of Pink Floyd added in. This is one of a very few passages in the Daodejing that is written in the first person, though it is not known who the actual writer is. Continue reading The outsider
Digital Signage Expo 2015: Day 1
Quite a lively start to DSE 2015. Judging by the buzz among both visitors and exhibitors, the digital signage business seems to be in quite a healthy state. There were certainly a lot of impressive products on display. Who can fail to be lured by the rich vibrant images being delivered on massive 4K screens? Continue reading Digital Signage Expo 2015: Day 1
VIA ALTA Portal
Digital signage has the potential to help small business owners boost in-store engagement with their customers, but for too long it has been out of reach because of the high cost of installation and the complexity involved in managing the system. Continue reading VIA ALTA Portal