If You Can Change Things, Do It. Otherwise, Let It Be …

In Chinese, the term Wu Wei refers to an aspect of Taoist philosophy.

According to this philosophy, the best way to act is not to force, but to be aware of the fact that not forcing does not mean doing nothing.

Wu Wei also means “effortless”, like the flowing river.

According to the Wu Wei philosophy, it is assumed that plants do not make any effort to grow, they simply grow.

Thus, it is a question of doing things in a natural way, without forcing them and without distorting their harmony. In other words: if you can make a difference, do it. Otherwise, let it flow …

A lot of times we want things to go one way or another, and we force situations instead of letting things go, going harmoniously in their rhythm, letting ourselves be carried along without putting up any resistance.

Attempting to oppose something that bothers us or does not please us is human, however, the wisdom of experience must guide us into this state of “letting go”.

Happiness, a state in which we let ourselves be carried away

“Flow” is a mental state in which a person is completely immersed in the activity that he is performing.

The person concentrates all his energy on the task in question and is fully involved.

The concept of “flow” was first proposed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975 and has since been developed in many areas.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is the director of the Quality of Life Research Center at the University of Claremont Graduate, California.

It studies the basis and applications of positive aspects of thinking, such as optimism, creativity, intrinsic motivation, and responsibility.

His theories have been so successful that they have been used by several world leaders.

His book “Flow: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience” was even very successful.

According to Csikszentmihalyi, the components of a “flow” experience are :

• Concentration and approach. A high level of concentration on a limited attention span.
  A person who does a unique activity will have a better chance of tackling it and going deeper into it.
• Clear objectives. The goals must be achievable, so that the person strives to achieve them.
• Direct and immediate feedback. The successes and failures are obvious. The person should receive feedback that will let them know when they are performing the activity correctly or not.
• Balance between ability level and challenge. The activity should not be too complicated because the person will quickly give up, nor too easy because they will tire and leave it behind. It is important to find a balance.

• Activity is inherently rewarding. Thus, one does not even notice the effort when it is executed. It has to be something that makes the person feel good, so that they barely notice the effort they are making.

Act to change things otherwise keep moving forward

Human beings go through complicated situations throughout their life, which they sometimes cannot change.

However, he can act on his way to deal with this situation.

It’s about seeing difficulties as an opportunity for learning and personal growth, to think that everything happens for a reason, to teach us an important lesson.

Each person reacts differently to the same situation and it is important that whenever we feel confused we find the support of other people to whom we can turn.

It’s not about masquerading as the victim, it’s about asking for help when you need it, talking with other people, and venting whatever is on your mind.

And when you see that there are things that you can’t change, keep moving forward, don’t resist.