I was having a discussion with a colleague about exam results leading to admission into the university where I work earlier today. A little later on it struck me that I, like those students, have spent a lot of time striving after additional qualifications. Not that I'm suggesting that this is a bad thing and I have done it for a number of reasons, all of which are valid - wanting to give myself a challenge, bettering my chances in the job market etc. But what struck me is that I've always been trying hard - perhaps too hard. And I was reminded of an incident way back in my school career.
It was back in my third year of secondary school and we had taken up Physics that year (later on that year we would have to make decisions as to what subjects we would take on to exam level). In my first report, after the pre-Christmas exams, my teacher wrote 'surprising exam result, considering her class work'. Now I was a bit miffed about this as I'd got 83% and I thought I'd worked very hard and was very pleased with the result. Later on in the year, having decided to give up the subject, I had to take another set of exams before the end of the summer term; this time I achieved only 63%, having done no revision whatsoever, and still he wrote 'surprising exam result, considering her class work'.
At the time, I was just glad that I'd given the subject up as I thought he didn't like me. Today, however, a different thought occurred to me - perhaps we should celebrate those exam results of life where the teacher writes 'surprising exam result, considering her class work'. If we consider the concept of wu wei, everything that needs to be done, gets done, but without any unnecessary straining and trying too hard. Perhaps we'd all be better off if we allowed things to happen in their own time and just added our effort when necessary, without forcing anything and yet achieving far more than if we'd tried to force the issue.
So I have decided to attempt a way of life where I'm not trying too hard, I'm not forcing the issue but acting at the right moment and achieving far more. Then perhaps when my life comes to an end, everyone can say 'surprising exam result, considering her class work'!
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"Perhaps we'd all be better off if we allowed things to happen in their own time and just added our effort when necessary, without forcing anything and yet achieving far more than if we'd tried to force the issue."
...It seems that with or without my forcing or allowing, what will be will be. I guess thats the kicker! In the true spirit of wu wei, if we can act when acting requires...like true tai chi form; push forward, pull back, stand still...as needed according to the environment of our life's situations. Anything more is just wasted energy.
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