Introduction to the World Religion and Belief Systems Week 5

Name: Eva Mae L. Dumagil Strand and Section: HUMSS/Del Pilar

Taoism in your daily life:
Instruction: Using the picture below kindly share your thoughts regarding the saying “Just go
with the flow” and how are you going to apply it in your daily life?

Lao-Tzu said, “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them that
only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way
they like.” This saying from Lao-Tzu is a great reminder for me as a student and at the same
time as a religious. Going with the flow can actually help me enjoy life in a better way.
Learning to let go of the things which I can’t control, accepting challenges without being
afraid and finding peace and calm without expecting.
I have to accept within myself that no matter how much I plan in my life, no matter how
many good habits I build, no matter how much I follow routines, there will always be
something that I cannot control and if I let them, these things can make me angry,
frustrated, and stressed. I always expect life to be the way I want but life is always full of
surprises.
Honestly, I am a pessimistic person. I have this habit of wasting so much of time thinking
negatively about the consequences of whatever I did wrong, dwelling in my past, and
anxious about my future. I basically over-think and which leads me into this trap. But
learning this one of the values of Daoism, I realize that I am not my thoughts and not
everything is in my hands. Life is temporary. Everything around me is changing, so it’s
better to find calm amidst the chaos rather than wasting time in too much planning or over-
thinking. As I go along, life will become better and better.
But going with the flow doesn’t mean that I will not stand on my own feet, that I will
become so dependent on others. Going with the flow doesn’t mean that I let other people
tell me what to do, rather than trying to control what happen to myself. Because if we say
going with the flow, it is about allowing the course of my life to unfold, whilst making
conscious decisions about what is ahead of me. In other words, if I am a person who goes
with the flow, I become much more open to growth and change, to letting go of issues that
aren’t important, and embracing the things that are in my control.