You can’t force it

There are many moments in life when trying too hard is counterproductive. Aldous Huxley called this the law of reversed effort.

Try as we might, it is nearly impossible to consciously will yourself to sleep. Sleep comes to those who let their mind wander and focus on anything other...

But, there’s a spiritual or holistic way of viewing the “law of reversed effort” as well. It’s something that has a much longer history than Aldous Huxley — it’s the Daoist idea of “Wu Wei.”

'The inaction'

The word “surrender” comes laden with negative connotation. Surrender is coward...

It’s the idea that the more we try to do something, the worse we become at it.

Suppose, for instance, that you are learning how to ride a bike for the first time. You are told to hold the handlebars a certain way, to push off with this foot, to pedal at that speed, to sit in a specific posi...