“With any kind of meditation, the mind, the ego, will fight back.”
- Bill Harris
Issue #469 – Monday, March 31, 2025
If your day-to-day life is like mine...you’re busy! And the to-do list just seems to get longer and longer.
But what if I told you that “doing nothing” could actually help you get more things done?
It sounds counter-intuitive, but this concept is something that dates back thousands of years, and the reasoning behind it is actually quite powerful!
It’s all thanks to the Taoist principle of Wu Wei, and today I’m sharing a mind-blowing essay with you from Centerpointe Director of Client Services Marc Gilson that breaks down this ancient practice…
...so you can use it to align yourself with the “flow” of the Universe to make your life simpler and clearer.
Wu Wei might sound a little “woo-woo,” but the results are undeniable.
I know you’re going to love this!
Cheers,
MaryEllen Tribby
Centerpointe CEO
P.S.
Ready to take control of how you age? The Ageless Vitality Suite is designed specifically to slow and even reverse the effects of aging.
Scroll down to the “Check It Out” section below to learn more!
Wu Wei
How To Get a Lot Done By Doing (Almost) Nothing
by Marc Gilson
Centerpointe Director of Client Services
I was ten years old when I walked in the living room to find my father sitting on the sofa, his eyes closed. He was not sleeping. The TV was off. He was not listening to music. His breath was slow and even, the look on his face was one of peace and tranquility. He had nothing in his hands; they simply sat folded in his lap.
“Hey Dad!” I said, “What are you doing?”
He slowly opened his eyes and gave me a slight smile. “Not doing. Meditating,” he said.
I’d never seen anyone meditate before. I didn’t even know what meditation was or why anyone would spend their time doing it. From my ten year old perspective, it looked to me like Dad was doing absolutely nothing at all. “Doesn’t look like you’re doing anything,” I observed.
“Wu Wei,” said Dad.
“Woo what?” I said.
The Tradition of Wu Wei
Wu Wei is the Taoist concept that, roughly translated, means “non-action,” or “non-doing.”
It’s central to the Taoist tradition for reasons I’ll explain shortly. But Wu Wei is a concept that holds a world of value for Taoists and non-Taoists alike (which I think covers all of us!).
While meditation is probably the most obvious manifestation of actually practicing Wu Wei, the idea itself is more of a way of seeing the world–and relating to it–than anything you specifically do. In fact, since Wu Wei is “non-doing,” it is definitely not a technique or specific activity.
You can’t really “do” Wu Wei. Yet you can still practice it.
While it’s important to at least touch on Wu Wei’s Taoist context, I won’t attempt a complete explanation of Taoism here. But to offer at least a very broad (and probably over-simplistic) definition of it.
Taoism is a belief system that emphasizes the value of living and acting in harmony with nature and the universe. It is often described as “The Way,” which is to say:
The way to live, be happy, and be at peace.
The “way” equates to the natural flow of the universe, and everything in it. When one is in harmony with the “way,” life becomes simpler and clearer. Why? Because to properly follow the “way” you have to stop fighting with yourself, with others, with the world at large.
Instead, you listen to the rhythm of the world and let yourself fall into step with it.
The only “way” to really learn the “way” is to, ironically perhaps, get out of the “way.” Doing nothing, according to Taoism, can often result in more peace and happiness than always doing something. At least much of the time.
Moving Out of the Fast Lane
To the modern mind, this can seem contradictory.
How can you ever get anything done when you’re not doing anything? How can you expect to become more successful and more at peace without putting some effort into it?
Especially today, when life seems to be running on rails, moving so quickly that most of us can barely keep up, something like Wu Wei doesn’t quite seem to fit. Life, these days anyway, is lived at full speed, with more things on the “to do” list than we can comfortably manage.
How in the world can we employ a method of non-action when, at every turn, we are confronted with the need to act?
At first blush, Wu Wei can seem like a pointless idea that amounts to just sitting around passively while the world passes you by. But let’s look a little deeper. Wu Wei is not about being lazy and doing nothing.
Instead, it’s about cultivating a powerful form of mindful awareness about the world in which you live: your relationships, your job, your health, your finances and your spiritual path.
The more awareness we can create around ourselves and the world, the better our lives are going to be.
Why? Because, as Centerpointe founder Bill Harris frequently said, “awareness creates choice.” When we make conscious choices (rather than having unconscious reactions) we are in the “driver’s seat” of life. We are in the best possible state of mind to make decisions, big and small.
Here’s how Bill put it:
“When we really become aware of how our thoughts and actions are creating our experience of life, we have to ask ourselves whether we’re happy with that experience. If not, the good news is that you can change that experience–or almost any experience–that is causing you suffering. How? By developing enough awareness so that your thoughts and actions lead you into experiences that are healthy and that give you more of what you want.”
Wu Wei & Awareness
So how does Wu Wei help us develop this kind of awareness that can help us experience life in a healthier and happier way?
By reminding us that we don’t have to fix everything immediately.
How often have you inadvertently made something worse by trying to fix it? It’s happened to me more than I care to admit!
But Wu Wei says, “Stop! Just sit and watch for a moment. Just let your senses become attuned to what’s going on around you.”
When you stop stirring up the waters of your life and let them settle, the waters become crystal clear and tranquil.
Then, and only then, will you be in the best position to make the smartest, healthiest, and most resourceful choices.
Wu Wei is not “doing nothing.” Neither is it “always doing something.”
It is an idea that serves to remind us of the value of stopping. Of watching. Of listening. Of becoming aware and mindful of the forces already at work in our lives.
One of the great gifts of a meditative lifestyle is that it affords us time to experience Wu Wei. After all, meditation is not about doing, but being. Simply sitting for a few minutes each day in a non-doing state comes with a list of benefits too long to list here.
Yet meditation isn’t easy for most of us. We could argue that it ought to be. After all, what could be simpler for a person to do but to sit and be still without the burden of doing, thinking, worrying, choosing, planning, strategizing, etc?
But the truth is that “doing nothing” isn’t as easy as it looks.
Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy
Meditation is hard because it takes away the mind’s pacifier of activity.
The mind has a mouth full of teeth, but gets nothing to chew on when meditating. Even the casual meditator knows that the first thing that happens when you sit to try to “do nothing” is that the mind creates hundreds of scenarios to fill the gap. Many people have no idea just how deep their mind’s addiction to stimulus goes until they try to meditate.
Meditation is exceedingly simple, but not exceedingly easy.
This was, in part, why Bill Harris developed Holosync. When you listen to Holosync, you have a structure, a gentle meditative stimulus to keep your conscious mind somewhat quiet, and (in our neural driving soundtracks) a stimulus that pushes the brain to change and grow over time, thereby speeding up the time it takes to experience the benefits usually only available to the lifelong meditator.
So remember to sit, listen and sense the flow happening around you.
This flow–whether we like what it’s bringing us or not–can help us grow and change in ways a life of constant doing, doing, doing, will never give us.
Check It Out!
Ageless Vitality Suite
The “Fountain of Youth” was in the brain all along!
And we’re giving you the keys to harness it.
The four powerful Holosync soundtracks in the Ageless Vitality Suite make it easy to:
- Boost cellular health & regeneration
- Enhance your brain’s flexibility
- Improve energy and stamina
- Balance your brain chemistry
Best of all, you’ll see powerful results with no pills, creams, or injections!
It’s time to stop letting your age hold you back from the life you deserve.
Wise Words
“When you stop stirring up the waters of your life and let them settle, the waters become crystal clear and tranquil.” - Marc Gilson
This Really Happened
The support coaches are awesome! I needed a lot of help getting back on track with daily Holosync use. The coaches also helped me deal with a few instances of overwhelm (early on). And sometimes I call just to stay connected. I’m in this for the haul, and I’m using the resources available. Big thanks to the staff at Centerpointe.
~Keyur P.
Holosync User
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