Yoga and the Art of Accomplishing Something

If you can dream it, you can accomplish it.
(Can you guess which iconic NYC building this is?)

Sitting in front of my computer here in this moment, I feel some fear. Will I be able to write something meaningful that will help anyone who reads this? Will I finish all the work and personal projects I’ve set out to do this month? Will I have the courage to act on manifesting my 2021 New Year’s Resolutions and Goals and see them to fruition? Are there any yogic ideas that can help me here?

Then I remember a line from a Taoist poem that suggests I “shoot for nothing” and voilà, the actions are set in motion.

The full poem goes like this:

When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets –
He is out of his mind!

His skill has not changed. But the prize
Divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting –
And the need to win
Drains him of his power.
[Taoist poem]

This poem encourages me to have the attitude of shooting for nothing in order to accomplish something. I just remind myself as I write this: just speak from your heart and the words and thoughts will be of use to someone. Whatever it is I accomplish will really be an expression of God emanating through the vessel of my heart and out to the hearts of others.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced me to become more self-sufficient and self-reliant. I am sure this has been the same for you this past year. I learned and taught myself a bunch of new things. (Can you say ‘do-it-yourself-tax-returns’?!!) I always feel a little fear in the beginning of each new endeavor. But somehow each time I muster up enough courage to take the first step, and eventually the project is done. I have a feeling that I am not alone in my fears, or else none other than Shakespeare – someone who understood human nature extremely well – would have penned these words:

Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good
We oft might win
By fearing to attempt.
– William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act 1 scene 4

Reading this, I don’t feel so alone. But I’ve coupled that with this statement by Mahatma Gandhi:

If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely 
acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not 
have it at the beginning.

In my opinion, there is no joy in life greater than overcoming one’s fears and doubts by plunging ahead and doing some small action that leads us closer to our desired outcomes. To me, “Yoga and the Art of Accomplishing Something” means:

• Starting with the belief that I can do it – and perhaps even deluding myself in the beginning into believing I can do it until I actually do believe it; every time we step onto our yoga mats, we take that leap of faith that the practice will lead us closer to enlightenment

• Transforming the fear into action by staying with the fear and continuing forward – in this respect staying with the feelings that meditation practice trains us to do is very helpful

• Having an explorer’s attitude about the journey

I like the notion of having an explorer’s attitude. It can really help us to accomplish much, over time. And it frees us from the burden of having to get it right at the start or be perfect. I think the journey of yoga and meditation as a practice involves just trying to maintain this attitude. In this day and age of keeping track of metrics and hitting targets, it’s refreshing to have some things in our life which don’t have to be subject to outward measures of success.

Some years ago, I watched the spiritual teacher Wayne Dyer (now deceased) on a PBS pledge drive. On the show, he interpreted the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, written by the 4th Century Chinese Philosopher, Lao Tzu. Tao means “the Way.” Here some of the ideas from this ancient text:

There is no way to happiness; Happiness is the Way.

Accomplish much by trying less.

See yourself in Everyone.

Be flexible, soft, and allowing.

Live without attachment -- be generous.

Practice radical humility.

What stood out to me here was the notion of stop trying so hard to accomplish things. Work less. Take breaks. Refresh. And this is really what we’re trying to train ourselves to do in yoga practice. The moments of effort are always balanced out with the moments of rest and surrender. In every moment, your body will instinctively tell you just how much effort to give to some task. You can trust that instinct will be correct, and ultimately lead you to accomplishing much – whether it be a new yoga pose or a life-long goal.

Here’s another little gem of a thought that guides me:

The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.
– Arnold Toynbee

Whether you are one of those who are lucky enough to really love their job or are the exact opposite, there will always be moments when all our jobs will feel like a grind. In those moments, we can play mental tricks on our mind and have a playful approach. How would a child approach such moments? Perhaps with curiosity. How would a trained yogi handle it? Probably by lightening up and making it child’s play by adopting an explorer’s attitude. If you can accomplish just that, I agree that would be a supreme state of being, a God-like state of mind.

Pema Chödrön says it best here:

We can stop struggling with what occurs and see its true face without calling it the enemy. It helps to remember that our practice is not about accomplishing anything —not about winning or losing—but about ceasing to struggle and relaxing as it is. That is what we are doing when we sit down to meditate. That attitude spreads into the rest of our lives.

This, I think, sums up why we are practicing yoga and meditation. We do so in order to loosen the ambition, and to be able to meet moments for what they are – just moments – and meet life where it is with a bit of levity.

I truly hope that by shooting for nothing and in not trying so hard to accomplish anything that you ultimately accomplish something that can be of benefit to all beings. May your sustained yoga and meditation practice guide you there. 

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you shoot for nothing, …
May you overcome your doubts and start with the belief that you can do it, … 
May you have an ‘explorer’s attitude’, …
May you try less, … 
May you blur work and play, …
May you shift the focus away from accomplishing anything, …
May you, over time, accomplish something huge, … 
For the benefit of ALL beings everywhere.

Aloha, with Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun

If you can dream it, you can accomplish it.