I'm sending you this email from 30,000 feet up! My wife and I are visiting the States for the first time since moving abroad 14 months ago. It's the longest I've ever been out of the country, so I'm curious to see how it feels going back.

A lot of our friends overseas who are also from the States have warned us about the reverse culture shock. They say everything feels big. The streets, the cars, the stores, the portions of food.

I'll report back next week! Excited to be on home soil and with some familiar faces.

Thank you for reading this week!

The ancient philosophy of doing less but achieving more

Many people's default setting is to hustle, grind, and rush, as if they don't have enough time to do everything they want. This programming is baked into our modern, goal-oriented world.

People are so attached to their goals that they put incredible pressure on themselves to hit them. Instead of going with the natural flow of life, they do everything in their power to force an outcome.

They try to make something happen even when it's not budging instead of reassessing their aim. They work late nights and into the weekends, hoping it will move them forward, only to miss quality time with friends and family. They confuse their stubbornness for "persistence," thinking it's the right thing to do.

This relentless pursuit leads to burnout, anxiety, and makes life harder than it actually needs to be. You do a lot, yet still fall short of your own expectations.

While this is a common modern approach, the ancient Chinese philosophy of wu wei offers a different way. Here's a sneak peek from the new book I'm writing:

At first, this might feel like a passive way to live.

But when you detach from outcomes and move with what's naturally flowing in your life, you take aligned action that feels more effortless than anything before.

Now, this doesn't mean you shouldn't set goals. I think that's still a solid way to direct your aim. But you must be flexible and adaptable.

If something isn't working out as you imagined, it could be an invitation to find a more effortless approach or a new aim entirely.

When this becomes your default setting, you stop white-knuckling your way through life. Your movement is less about forcing and more about following something that's already going your way.

P.S. If you want to understand how to apply the wu wei philosophy to your everyday life, I go deeper on this topic in the video below. This short video will help you open up your life to richer opportunities without the stress and overwhelm. This philosophy completely rewired how I'm living my life.

Book recommendation of the week

The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer

10 years ago, this book effectively changed how I live my life forever, and I'm not just trying to sound dramatic. This isn't about wu wei directly, but it has a similar essence to that philosophy.

This book will help you understand an alternative, counterintuitive approach to living. It will help you loosen your grip and realize you don't need as much control as you think to live the life you crave.

I fully believe this book finds you when you're meant to read it. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading. I hope to see you again next week!

Jordan Tarver
Author of ​You Deserve This Sh!t​ and ​Pursuit of Purpose​

p.s. ​Text "INSPO" to 707-289-7047​ to receive free weekly inspirational messages directly from me to your phone. Your data is always secure and kept private. I'll never charge you a penny. I'd love to have you!