For the past five years, I have practiced tai chi with the disciple of a great master in Beijing. My teacher is very wise.
Of the many lessons I have learned, there are several that I apply to my life in business. So much so, that I've considered writing a book about them. For now, however, I'll begin with a series of blog posts I'm calling Tai Chi for Business.
Lesson 1. Focus on what you can do.
On Saturday, I participated in a four hour tai chi intensive. Yes, it was intense. My teacher broke down the most basic movements we have learned, layer by layer, inch by inch bringing us a small step closer to understanding the underlying meaning of the movement.
His master back in China is a 95-year old man who has uncommon mastery of this martial art (think of Master Oogway, the turtle in Kung Fu Panda) and uncommon wisdom, He tells my teacher frequently, "Don't waste time."
Time is precious. We don't have much of it. Yet too many of us waste it by focusing on what we can't do.
What happens when we focus on what we can't do? We fret. We feel bad. We create stories in our... Read more