As I explore the topic
of natural growth vs. will-powered growth, there seems to be a shape I keep
encountering- the circle.
Laurence Boldt takes
practical Western philosophy with the more intuitive Eastern Zen philosophy and
produces harmonious Type K-friendly books. In the Tao of Abundance he writes “All things return…within the time-bound
realm, a circular pattern evades the whole of life- from womb and tomb to the
cycles of the moon, from day and night to the seasons- the wheel of life moves
in a circle.” Nature’s custom to operate in cycles can be seen in the sacred
geometry of The Flower of Life. It is
said that all things physical replicate this pattern- take embryonic division
for example. This figure is constructed by a single circle reproduced six times
at equidistant points and captures the ecosystem of creation.
And yet taking circular
pathways in life in general is not something that the Western school system
encourages (certainly not public schools). Instead it teaches us to project
ourselves into the future and create a linear plan to arrive at destination B. If
in case we encounter a true interest, we must keep this newfound knowledge as a
closeted hobby and endure self-sacrifice so as to prove our perseverance when
we arrive at point B. If we’re lucky, we remember the old adage to “enjoy the
journey” but this linear mode of goal planning stifles the future with the logic
of human experience, which is limited by what’s been done and what’s been seen.
Laurence Boldt observes, “In the West, we know a great deal about lines, but we
have forgotten the power of the circle. We know about lines of reasoning and
logic but discount the circle of intuition. We know about deadlines, timelines,
and lines of history but discount the cosmic cycle of return… Now lines have
their place, but life is a circle- and the way of life is circulation”. Running
around in circles then, has its own virtue. To ignore Mother Nature’s cyclical
wisdom in our own personal lives denies a fundamental truth regarding human
nature- that we work in cycles, we create in cycles, and experience abyss and
bliss in cycles (Ecclesiastes 3).
This is the
macroscopic view that success coach Michael Neil utilizes in his newest book The Inside-Out Revolution. Neil looks at
the gambit of human emotions and notices that people naturally display the
characteristics of resilience and perseverance. When we accept that excellence,
wholeness and well-being is our natural equilibrium, we stop attempting to fix
ourselves because we recognize that we are not broken. When we become lost in
the whirlwind of our fears, we cannot strategize our way out of the confusion.
To do so would go against the current of our momentary reality and no amount of
positive thinking can fool us into thinking otherwise. The easiest way to
separate water from sand in a jar is to let it sit still. The clear water can
then be poured out into another beaker. This perspective makes strategizing
from a point of clarity seem effortless. In terms of personal effectiveness,
Michael Neil’s philosophy warrants that we will automatically return to those
things that we need to do if we have chosen to create from a state of abundance
as opposed to a state of lack.
Similarly, Stephen
Covey, author of The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People, understands that personal growth occurs in cycles as
demonstrated in his mockup of The Upward Spiral:
Imagine yourself
walking on one of those lines and failing to notice your walking on an incline because the slope is so shallow. Personal growth can be as easy or as difficult as we make it to be.
Is it possible that as
we grow into our dreams we can remain so entranced by the magic of our vision
that we anesthetize ourselves from experiencing growing pains? This question places
less emphasis on deadlines and willpower and focuses more on our ability to
follow an authentic desire with joy.
What would happen if
we detach ourselves from the belief that it takes hard work to achieve success
(however each individual defines success) and accept its polar opposite? Note: This is not a Gen Y-er’s attempt to
undermine the long-standing principle of hard work. That’s already been done (Blame Tim Ferris).
But what does it mean
then to inhabit the circle, to have nowhere to go and nothing to be? And at the
same time, how do we reach for our dreams without reading our incompetence as a
testament of our own self-worth? The Type K appreciates the abundances of point A and reaches for point B out of curiosity, knowing full well that he can find all the happiness that he needs at point A.
The bottom line: don’t
be a square, be a circle!
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