First Things First by Stephen R, Covey

[daoist]

So I'm about to start a new job Monday and I wanted to take the time before starting to develop some sort of time management practice to maximize my organization/effectiveness/happiness in my new position. I ran across the book "First Things First" and was surprised at how in line with Daoism I found it to be.

 

He talks about "the Law of the Farm" for example. "One of the best ways to understand how these extrinsic realities govern is to consider the Law of the Farm. In agriculture, we can easily see and agree that natural laws and principles govern the work and determine the harvest. But in social and corporate cultures, we somehow think we can dismiss natural processes, cheat the system, and still win the day."

 

The gist being that I'm finding surprisingly little that doesn't match my limited understanding of the Dao. One thing that bugs me a little is his idea of "legacy" being a fundamental human need. "live, love, learn, and leave a legacy".

 

This idea of legacy seems a bit artificial to me? I know my wife wants to leave some sort of legacy, but I've never really grokked it. The way I look at it, I do want to live, love and learn, but as for legacy? I don't get it. In 100 years no one will remember us, what difference does it make if we leave a legacy? Maybe I just don't understand the concept well enough yet, but every time he mentions it, it's like a bump in an otherwise smooth ride.

 

What do you think of this concept of legacy with regard to Daoism? Admittedly, Lao Tzu left a legacy, but was it his intention, or a natural outcome of him living a Daoist life?

[el_tortugo]

Daoist legacy seems to me to be connected to wu wei or wuji in that it would have to do with harmony with the Dao and be an intrinsic outcome of that kind of stillness.

[steve]

2 hours ago, daoist said:

So I'm about to start a new job Monday and I wanted to take the time before starting to develop some sort of time management practice to maximize my organization/effectiveness/happiness in my new position. I ran across the book "First Things First" and was surprised at how in line with Daoism I found it to be.

 

He talks about "the Law of the Farm" for example. "One of the best ways to understand how these extrinsic realities govern is to consider the Law of the Farm. In agriculture, we can easily see and agree that natural laws and principles govern the work and determine the harvest. But in social and corporate cultures, we somehow think we can dismiss natural processes, cheat the system, and still win the day."

 

The gist being that I'm finding surprisingly little that doesn't match my limited understanding of the Dao. One thing that bugs me a little is his idea of "legacy" being a fundamental human need. "live, love, learn, and leave a legacy".

 

This idea of legacy seems a bit artificial to me? I know my wife wants to leave some sort of legacy, but I've never really grokked it. The way I look at it, I do want to live, love and learn, but as for legacy? I don't get it. In 100 years no one will remember us, what difference does it make if we leave a legacy? Maybe I just don't understand the concept well enough yet, but every time he mentions it, it's like a bump in an otherwise smooth ride.

 

What do you think of this concept of legacy with regard to Daoism? Admittedly, Lao Tzu left a legacy, but was it his intention, or a natural outcome of him living a Daoist life?

 

Whether we intend to leave a legacy is somewhat irrelevant. 

We WILL leave a legacy and the legacy we leave will be far more dependent on others' perspectives of us than on our own desires, plans, or expectations.

We will be gone and the consequences of our presence and actions while we are here, our effects on those around us, the values of our descendants, our impact on our environment and relationships; all of that and more will be our legacy. 

Allowing that fact to inform our daily lives, our choices, and our focus has profound value, IMO.

I'm no authority on Laozi and can't know his intentions, assuming he was even a historic person, but certainly there was intent in the creation, preservation, and communication of the profound messages of the Daodejing.

To the extent that we understand and live in accordance with Daoist principles like wu wei and de, our legacy is likely to reflect the purity, beauty, and spontaneity of our true Nature. To the extent we live our lives from a place of conditioning that obstructs the natural flow of the Way, our legacy is likely to reflect that as well.

To your question, Laozi's legacy is a consequence of both intention and the natural flow of the Way as the two converge as we interfere less and less with the purity and spontaneity of reality.

I have no idea if this has anything to do with what Mr. Covey speaks to in his book but it is what occurred to me as I read your post. 

Congratulations on the new job. I hope it works out well for you.

[silent thunder]

We are all of us gardeners, planting influence in the lives of all we encounter and touch.

 

Each word and every act are seeds planted in the lives and awareness of all those we knowingly and unknowingly affect.

[freeform]

On 04/12/2021 at 1:50 PM, daoist said:

This idea of legacy seems a bit artificial to me?

There’s two sides to legacy.

 

For the one focused on themselves, legacy is a continuation of one’s name after death.

 

For the one focused on others, legacy is what bears fruit in other’s lives after one’s death.

 

If you’re a cultivator - set selfless seeds that bear selfless fruit for the benefit of all.