88. On being a Living Tao - 活道 (Part 0)... Understanding Jia Ren (家人) a man with a house to run

Around about the time, when I get that thought in my head of why are things getting so hard again, in my life, people start asking me, “What do I do?” I usually reply with, “What do I do what?” To which I get the proper question of “What do I do for a living?” I already knew that that was what they meant, but I wanted to be sure. After all, when a person commits to living in the now of now, that question of what do I do implies the moment of right now, which is speaking into a voice recorder. If I am not doing this, then I am doing my baguazhang, playing weiqi, or selling loose leaf tea online. Which surprises a lot of people who don’t know me. They assume, because they don’t see me busy in an office somewhere or working in factory, that I must be some sort of layabout. But I tell you now. I am none of that. I simply have committed myself to fulfilling my role as a “Living Tao” (活道) for myself and others along the martial arts journey. And when I do that, I get remunerated by the powers that be so that I can continue to do what I do. So what does being a Living Tao mean? It means that when I see somebody ‘lost’, I gently help them find their way again by pointing out the map to them. It can be as varied from the very literally lost to the symbolically lost. And I only bother myself with those who wish to have my help. Interestingly, rarely people ask me: Why I do what I do. I have gotten critics, Nay-sayers. And people who can’t believe. I have even been blessed with those online trolls, that by their very presence, let you know that you are a Somebody. But rarely the why question. My wife says, we attract the people that come to us based on who we are. And that, if I just stopped sometimes attracting trolls because I sometimes love fighting, I would realise that I am, as she puts it, a Jia Ren (家人) - a Man with a House to run. A chief. A tribal elder of sorts. If you are listening to this, then she would tell you, that in your own special way you are same. And that the person giving you the most grief, is the one that needs you the most - the yin to your yang. The Griefbringer is your gift from Heaven, so that you may grow and become a higher version of yourself. In other words, we sometimes have to lose the battle in order to win the war. Accept the loss and move on. Things are getting hard again in your life, because you are three feet from gold. ...Three. Feet. From. Gold... Liked what you heard & want to connect with me? Join me at… linkedin.com/in/peterhainzl/