Soulful Sundays: Receptive

“The soft overcomes the hard.

The gentle overcomes the rigid.”

—Lao Tzu

The default pathway is force—pushing back when we are pushed, rebelling when we are constrained, angering when we are thwarted. In certain scenarios, powering through is a healthy response, but it is certainly not the most effective one. Knowledge of our opponent’s strength is far better. Through yielding we can harness the energy of the opposition and redirect it for our own purposes. By staying receptive we conserve our effort for when it matters.

The second hexagram of the I Ching, the Book of Changes, is The Receptive. It represents extreme yin. This chapter uses the metaphor of the persevering mare as the paragon of receptivity and the path to success. Horses are ideal teachers of softness. As a prey species they are keenly attuned to detecting threats and respond best to gentleness. Yet once befriended, they will go above and beyond for their master.

When we choose force we reinforce the patterning of the ego. The ego must always be right and in control. Creating excuses for failure and disowning responsibility are related tactics it uses to maintain that control. To break this pattern, we must humble ourselves before the greater power that creates the universe. We must first listen and become curious about the forces acting upon us. In doing so, we become receptive to how those forces may actually be helping us.