One of the fundamental trainings in Taoist cultivation practice is to focus on self cultivation in order to see your true spirit. This is knowing and trusting yourself and spirit.

Keeping stillness allows your to walk in the motion with your true self by trusting yourself. So can you honestly answer the question: "Do you know yourself?"

Have you ever seen yourself in somebody else? What about in another place? Situation? Have you ever taken a walk in someone else's shoes? What about let somebody walk in yours?

Seeing yourself in everything is a concept to help you realize that it is YOU that is the director of your life. It is your spirit and intelligence that qualifies and quantifies perception. The only problem is that when you let too much intelligence dictate the reaction to the perception.

A still mind, body and spirit should work in harmony as you see yourself in everything. A balance. See things rise and fall before you and catch what you need.

There comes a time in life when humans start to look for things in life to fulfill them. What they are looking for are "themselves." The true spirit is there but likes to wander and is curious. When have a goal in mind or a dream, we need to find our spirit to fulfill it. We need to combine our intelligent mind with our spirit.

By detaching and letting go (emptying the cup) more and more we allow room for our spirit to come back into our lives, to our being. Together with our conscious mind (intelligence), we are able to see clearly how to walk our own path. Once seeing the path, we need to FOLLOW IT!

Life is for us to truly enjoy and take part in. However, we need to do the work it takes to make it that way. It takes discipline, dedication, devotion and true diligence to see it through. We just need to be true to ourselves and the rest of the cosmos will comply.

In Taoism we try and live with mercy, compassion and forgiveness. What does this mean? It means having these things for yourself and others. Forgiving yourself and others is one of the hardest things to do in life because we attach to so much emotion built around our intelligence. This clouds our true spirit.

We learn to live not to give up our power to anyone or anything and live virtuous with ourselves so we can live virtuous with others. The lesson that I have learned during my training is that if I do not try and live by these things then I do not experience them in my life either.

Why cannot everyone be happy? It starts with being happy with yourself. My Master says that you are in your own play on your own stage. I see it as everyone and everything else is invited to either be in the play or to watch the play. It is entirely up to us as the playwright/director/audience.

We make our own happiness and define what that happiness is. No one can dictate that but our own true spirits. The key to happiness is not judging wether not something is good or bad. True happiness lies within our hearts. We can encounter challenging times of ups and downs, emotions, etc. but we CHOOSE to attach to them or just flow with them. If we choose to flow then we are able to keep the balance. If we choose to attach then we give our power to the situation.

Don't give your power to any situation. Conduct and guide the situation. You are the playwright, the director and the audience. Why not write, direct and see a happy play?

In Taoism we learn to unlearn. We clear our minds and spirits so we can gain true wisdom. This is best illustrated as you have one, full cup of tea. If you pour more in it overflows and runs all over the table and drips onto the floor. If you empty the cup little by little you may begin to fill it again.

This is just like life. During everyday living we are constantly throwing more and more into our minds, bodies and clouding our spirit. In order to truly live and see life clearly we need to cultivate ourselves by doing meditation, Taiji, Qigong, eating heatlhy and balancing our minds and spirits. By doing this we empty the "cup" little by little. When we empty the "cup" we begin to fill it with wisdom and energy. Then we begin to realize our life and purpose.

Do not walk around with a full "cup of tea". Stop to actually drink your tea and enjoy it. Once you can enjoy a nice cup of tea you will realize that your cup has become empty but your mind, body and spirit is full!

Life throws us many challenges. When we face those challenges with our true spirit we can really face them and see the reality of the challenge. When we see that reality we can meet the challenge with no judgement.

My Master says that Taoism teaches us to give our power to nothing. When we do not attach to desires, emotions, ego or judgement we are able to live a full life gaining more internal power. We learn to express ourselves through our life by walking the path that we want.

Through training and experience in my own life, I realize that I can actually walk the path I want by layiing down a brick one by one in front of my feet step by step, day by day. I feel by doing this I can actually see my path clearer and know exactly how to build it.

When my students ask me, "how do I do it?" I say "put it to the test in your own life, do not take my word for it."

Taoist practice is about cultivating the true self and realizing your true power. It is a path that only YOU can realize for yourself. However, the only way you can realize it is to take action! What action do you take?  Follow your true spirit and heart. Do not attach to the material or idea of what a spiritual person is supposed to be or act like. To be truly spiritual is to follow the ways of heaven and earth with your own spirit! Giving your power to no one or no thing.