Laozi: 6 New and Healthy Habits to Implement in Just 5 Minutes a Day

A path wrong taken is a path you’ve to rewalk again to reach the main road.

Master Laozi’s birth was a miracle.

According to old Chinese fables, Laozi is believed to devour 72 years inside his mother’s womb.

For that, historians call Laozi: “The old child.”

As a village kid, Laozi spent time slicing philosophical thoughts and religious thoughts from each other.

Him being generous, Laozi soon became a scholar in the royal court of the Zhou Dynasty.

One after another, Laozi unveiled the universe’s secrets and became a master of the faith. In some accounts, Sima Qian, a Histographer of the Zhou dynasty, claimed:

“Maybe Laozi has lived one hundred and fifty years, some say more than two hundred years.”

It’s not hard to believe.

In ancient Chinese cultures, superior men were believed to excel a normal men’s longevity.

To understand the meaning of life, we must learn from a teacher who lived almost 200 years. Don’t you think?

Below are 6 habits from Laozi you can apply now!

1. Don’t make the first step the hardest

• Laozi was a villager.

Just like we now make faces when we hear the words like (Countrymen, villagers) people did the same to him.

But as time passed, Laozi stood calm.

He was then appointed to the office of Shi at the royal court of the Zhou dynasty.

The “Shi” word means: specializing in astrology and other subjects. Laozi was one of his kind.

Yet, he never made it seem he was special or survived tremendous problems. Laozi did much in his life, from creating Taoism to being an office of the Shi. How did he do it?

If we apply the same to ourselves, we’re tough and scared. As Laozi puts it:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

Being afraid of taking the first step can mean two things:

• You have a lack of knowledge
• Or you don’t want to take benefit from nature’s approval

We miss many opportunities in our lifetime because we were young and scared.

But remember that there’s no (side) effect of taking the first step.

Life is like an elevator. Step inside the lift, and it will take you to great heights. But, step inside it.

2. Manifest

Some accounts suggest that old Laozi met young Confucius.

In that meeting, they both started to throw eggs of blaming. Such were:

• “You’re proud and arrogant. Confucius,” said Laozi.
• “And you’re the one that rises to the sky,” said Confucius.

Confucius was impressed with the old Daoist straightforward answer about his character.

This meeting is noted in the books of history named “The Powerful Meeting.” We often don’t realize that meeting people affects our lives. These meetings, co-incidences, nature spells, and everything is related. Here is a task for you:

• Calm your mind for a day and focus on a task. Now see, the whole universe surrenders to make that thing work.

As Laozi writes:

“The whole universe surrenders to the mind that is still.”

This also reminds me of Timothy Ferris’s quotes:

“The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either.”

The best solution: Keep your mind wiped clean from negative thoughts. Manifest knowledge and see your world change.

3. If he is the leader, then who am I?

Here are a few under-rated founders:

• Laozi= Taoism
• Friedrich Neitzche=Ubermench
• Plato= The Platonic academy

The above names were the true leaders/founders of their time.

But we hardly call them leaders. Why?

If I ask you a question:

Name one leader. You’ll possibly call out someone’s name who purchased his respect from money. (In most cases)

This reminds me of Laozi’s quote:

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

A leader is a person who (doesn’t) call himself a leader.

Nowadays, everybody is a leader. Maybe we forgot that leaders were meant to protect us and not give us extra problems.

• A bad employer is not a leader.
• A teacher who doesn’t follow what he preaches is not a leader.
• A man who doesn’t stick to his words is not a leader.

Make sure you’re following the right leader.

• Take time and think about it.

A path wrong taken is a path you’ve to rewalk again to reach the main road — don’t double your effort.

4. We all know our future

• People are fond of fortune telling.
• Whatever fortune tellers brief us, it runs deep into our brains.

One psychological explanation stems from “paying the money.” When we spend money on a fortune teller, it’s impossible to ignore what they say about our future.

On the other hand, your mind gives you free fortune telling 24/7. But since your mind doesn’t take a fee, you don’t damn care. Hmm…

The best explanation is in the words of Laozi:

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”

Life is a track. Whether you swim, race, hike, cry, walk, or jog, you’ll reach the same place.

But what place? Your habits decide your position.

I am no fortune teller. But I can tell you your habits depend on your future. So if you don’t want to end up where you’re heading, change your habits. Here are a few to include:

• Cook and feed yourself
• Meditate
• Slow dance on the rhythm
• Journal for clarity
• Enjoy the rain and snow to cleanse your body

5. The traveller and a passanger

Laozi taught a concept to his followers: non-action (Wu- Wei)

Put less effort into things and hence enjoy them twofold. Laozi always took things in a simple manner.

If you read my above lessons, you’ll realize Laozi said a quote:

“The whole universe surrenders to the mind that is still.”

Universe adjoins your journey to fulfillment. This means you can put half the effort into things and leave half the effort to nature. That is one of the reasons, Laozi said:

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”

A true traveler knows he cannot predict his outcome of arrival. With tethers in between, it’s opaque to predict.

A journey focuses on passing hurdles: rain, mountains, cobblestones, and air.

You cannot survive with planning unless nature wishes. Nature can protect you and can also leave you high and dry.

So, if you’re a true traveler, focus on short steps. Maybe:

• Steps
• Goals
• Finances

Leave the other things to nature.

Because you can never move a leaf without nature’s wish — it is that powerful.

6. Wisdom of the wise

Taoism, founded by Laozi, focuses on three major principles:

• Inaction
• Simplicity
• living in harmony with nature

If we combine these three elements, we can live our best life. So what does the best life mean?

To suffer when a problem is sitting on your shoulders? Or does it mean to ignore friends who make fun of you?

Laozi responds:

“He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.”

Avoiding fights and counteractions is the key to living a simple life. Enact to put less effort.

If you combine these, there is a solution to dealing with people:

Step 1: Know the people.

Step 2: Know yourself.

Step 3: Do nothing in the act.

Step 4: If a problem is huge, solve it.

Dealing with people is no easy task, I agree. But knowing people is the first step to dealing with them.

Knowing yourself means knowing your capabilities, boundaries, limits, and pressing points.

So, a wise man should know two things: himself and the world.

Final Thoughts:

The humans are like Chinese dolls — small and sweet.

Imagine the advantage you would gain if you treat your people and yourself with love.

Nature provides us with everything, food, shelter, and air. Humans need to do two things: love and understand.

Now tell me, is that a hard thing to do?

Join 1,100+ writers and get your next writing inspiration right now.

Or, join Medium with my referral link.