What’s In Your Last Will & Testament? (Tao Te Ching 33)

33.

Discover what makes others tick & you’ll be people smart.

Understand your true self & you’ll be enlightened.

To confront others is gutsy.

To confront your true self is heroic.

Appreciate what you have right in front of you

& you’ll realize your abundance.

Pursue your true calling & you’ll be unstoppable.

Maintain your integrity & you won’t lose heart.

Your legacy of love will endure forever.

Everything else will turn to ashes.

—Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

@taosurfers translation

What’s in your last will & testament? And when was the last time sorting out a contract like this lead to laughter rather than tears? Tragically, when it comes to the issue of inheritance, we humans too often turn gifts from our ancestors into reasons for family bickering. We turn blessings into curses. But it doesn’t have to be that way. What if we were to rethink the very concept of what it means to offer our dependents an inheritance, an everlasting legacy?

Tao Te Ching 33 helps us make sense of three ways in which other people try to own us and make us act in ways that serve their interests, while disregarding ours. In this audio commentary (click below), Stacie reflects on connections between power, money, and religiosity, and helps us consider ways to sort out the difference between true treasure and junk we can let fade away.

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