Daily Tao # 9

A translation by Stephen Mitchell, being the least bothered and more...

Good morning,

Lately I’ve been prioritizing meditation every day. I do it for many reasons: to relax, to calm down, to rest, to regulate my nervous system (my prediction for 2026 is that “nervous system” will be the top buzzword in the therapeutic jargon category; last year, I believe, it was “narcissist”). It’s one of those habits I know are good for me in the long run, but that I’ve struggled to prioritize consistently. What got me back to daily meditation a few months ago was a simple conversation with a friend who said he was prioritizing meditation each day. He inspired me to give the practice a try again.

Part of the appeal of meditation is that I read the now-defunct Daily Tao app just before closing my eyes for 20 minutes. The app contains translations of the Tao by Stephen Mitchell, which can be viewed on this website. Sadly, the app no longer seems available for download, but it rotates through one of the 81 entries each day. Sometimes the entries are verbose or esoteric; other times they’re clear and piercing, like entry #9 was for me the other day:

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

What struck me most is the specificity of the claim that doing one’s work, then stepping back, is the only path to serenity. Really, the only way? A simple definition of serenity is: “the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.” I sometimes qualify this definition as: being calm and untroubled in a situation that inherently isn’t. For me, serenity looks like calm in the face of challenge or trouble. Recently I heard on a podcast that the winner in the game of life is the one who is least bothered. I like that as a barometer for my own spiritual well-being or serenity. If I’m in an objectively bothersome situation, can I be the least bothered? Can I not complain? Can I not let the situation be an excuse for my behavior?

The other day I helped a friend migrate over to Substack. I had a lot of fun doing it. It was nice to see how adept I’ve become at using this platform over the years, and it felt good to watch my friend’s excitement build as we dove deeper into the various tools and options available. Working with my friend on his Substack reminded me how fun this tool is for sharing thoughts, ideas and projects. It took some of the seriousness out of it for me, like I have to have the perfect topic each week to be worthy of writing.

Sometimes I resist writing because I measure my Substack by the likes and comments (“Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner”) instead of putting it out there as self-expression and trusting that I’m forging ahead with my creative work, one week at a time (“Do your work, then step back”). By helping my friend and encouraging him to share his Substack, even if it’s not yet “perfect,” I was reminded why I do this each week: to express myself creatively and, hopefully, reach even one other person and brighten their day or shift their perception just a little.

Until next time,

Matt

-

Reading: Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Watching: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Listening: A Life of Meaning (audiobook) by James Hollis, Ebo Taylor, Spiral Staircases by Larry June, Curren$y, The Alchemist

-
matthewleebaron.com