Go With the Flow For a Change 

Do you believe you can exert your willful control over all workplace situations? If you do, then maybe you need a lesson in Taoism and the principle of wu-wei. Taoism philosophy goes back to at least 3000 B.C. and embraces the idea that life is an interconnected, organic whole that undergoes constant transformation. This change, which is unceasing, is governed by a set of unalterable, and knowable, natural laws. Think of the regularity of the changes in our days and seasons (rising and setting of the sun followed by the moon and winter changing to spring, for instance). The idea is that people change with this constancy as well and that we can learn about the process from observing the change in our world. In other words, in all change there is a “flow,” a natural pattern. If we first observe it, and then cooperate with it, we will experience a state that is free and be connected to the general flow of the universe.

One of the keys to realizing your oneness with this flow is wu-wei, often translated as “non-doing.” However, wu-wei is considered an action. Wu-wei is behavior that is linked to our sense of being connected to others and our environment. Its motivation does not arise from our modern idea of separateness. Wu-wei is action that is effortless and spontaneous. It is not idleness or laziness or passiveness. Instead it’s the idea that you are not “going against” something, but that instead you are going with something, like “going with the grain or swimming with the current,” according to Ted Kardash on JadeDragon.com. You might hear people say they’re just going with the flow, that’s the Taoist principle wu-wei.
 
So when you feel like your life at the office is a constant struggle, maybe you should consider following the principle wu-wei. Break the cycle of struggle, sit quietly with non-action for a while and when you do take action it will likely be a natural and easy thing, based on your connection to others in the office. 

Mistakes Offer Opportunity to Choose Again

Are you obsessing on a mistake you made in the office? Lots of people do this, constantly running the scenarios of the disastrous day or redemptive rewrites of it through their minds. Allowing yourself to participate in this is a waste of energy (not to mention cruel and unusual punishment for yourself.) If you catch yourself running these movies in your mind, you might tell yourself to get a grip and stop, but it’s not likely to work. Instead, be gentle and kind, like you would to a sensitive child who’s made a mistake. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by mentally harassing yourself? The answer to the question will probably make you stop.

After all, if you reflect on the wise words of James Joyce, you might find that focusing on the mistake in this way is keeping your from what might be truly advantageous from the experience.

As Joyce’s said, “A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.”