The Story

When East meets West… when Lao Tzu wrote down the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching 2,500 years ago in ancient China, he may not have realised the impact its philosophy would have millenniums later in the West and the newly-emerging profession of life-coaching.

When Julia from Taiwan met Nick from England on a coaching course, they didn’t realise at first that they had a common interest in the work of Lao Tzu. This joint interest soon became a course project. As we explored a few verses of the Tao, we began to see how Lao Tzu’s teachings could be related to personal development and coaching principles.

On this blog we intend to continue this work by exploring one verse of the Tao Te Ching each week. We invite you to join us on our journey and add your own thoughts to deepen our learning. How do you interpret Lao Tzu’s message? And how does it speak to you as a coach?

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Verse 66

All streams flow to the sea
because it is lower than they are.
Humility gives it its power.

If you want to govern the people,
you must place yourself below them.
If you want to lead the people,
you must learn how to follow them.

The Master is above the people,
and no one feels oppressed.
She goes ahead of the people,
and no one feels manipulated.

The whole world is grateful to her.
Because she competes with no one,
no one can compete with her.

[For Personal Development]

  • The basis of any successful relationship is deep respect.
  • Wanting to be your best is far more empowering than wanting to be better than someone else.
  • Leaders are to serve, not to dictate.

[For Coaching]

  • Being open to not knowing gives the coach the power of curiosity.
  • Standing for the greatness of the client is a powerful coaching acknowledgment.
  • Be human and willing to be vulnerable as a coach. It builds trust and models courage for the client.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Verse 53

The great Way is easy,
yet people prefer the side paths.
Be aware when things are out of balance.
Stay centered within the Tao.

When rich speculators prosper;
While farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible;
while the poor have nowhere to turn-all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in keeping with the Tao.

[For Personal Development]
  • Stay balanced. Excessiveness is as harmful as insufficiency.
  • Simplify your life. Return to the basics. Money does not buy happiness.
  • Strong values bring peace to individuals and societies.
[For Coaching]
  • Jumping into the “how” before coaching the “who” often leads us to the side paths. Providing solutions on the surface is not a sustainable way to solve a problem.
  • The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Be direct and speak client’s truth.
  • Stay centered and connected to who you are to access the who of your client.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Verse 47

Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.
The more you know,
the less you understand.
The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
does without trying.

[For Personal Development]
  • Beyond all matter is a field of energy (the Tao), that flows though all things.
  • Mastery does not involve trying to do something. Mastery involves a way of being. (A master does not try. A master knows and does. )
  • Open your inner wisdom; the answer is inside.
  • The more you know, the more you realize that there is more to know.

[For Coaching]

  • Great coaching is effortless.
  • When a coach is open to not knowing, the greater the curiosity and understanding about WHO the client is.
  • Trust your intuition. We sense or feel things before we can prove it or understand it. Share it with the client.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Verse 36

If you want to shrink something,
you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
you must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to take something,
you must first allow it to be given.
This is called the subtle perception
of the way things are.

The soft overcomes the hard.
The slow overcomes the fast.

Fish cannot leave deep waters,
and a country’s weapons should not be displayed.

[For Personal Development]
  • Extremes meet. Overdoing something might cause the opposite effect.
  • Don't bury pain; it never really goes away unless you acknowledge it.
  • Confidence is something you are; needing to display it is lack of confidence.

[For Coaching]

  • Create a safe space for the client to explore a tough issue and find his/her own answers.
  • Endorse your worst weaknesses. When you can accept and honor the worst part of yourself, you are more accepting of others [by Thomas Leonard].
  • The soft overcomes the hard. A powerful message can be delivered charge neutral (soft) and lands fully (overcomes the reaction or resistance from the client).

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Verse 15

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.

They were careful as someone crossing an iced-over stream.
Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapable as a block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Clear as a glass of water.

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
she is present, and can welcome all things.

[For Personal development]
  • Get clear on what you want first and then decisions will make themselves.
  • Being patient is different from being stagnant. You are alert, receptive and clear when being patient; you are stuck when being stagnant.
  • Respond with intention: a deliberate inaction is better than a blind action.

[For coaching]

  • As coaches we find it hard to describe what we do because the art of coaching is subtle and works on the profound level of WHO.
  • Trust the coaching process: coaching helps client to gain clarity, which leads to awareness, followed by actions. Jumping into the actions too quickly is like throwing the client in muddy water and asking he/she to decide which way to go.
  • Be present with the moment. Not seeking, not expecting, a coach can stay open and welcome all things.