Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. (Tao Te Ching)

“Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.”

Security and abundance is not something external you are trying to get. It is the natural reality of someone who does good work and who has little attachment to the outcome. How so?

It is your usefulness that determines your security. If you serve a company or person well, you will always be rewarded. The more value you create in service, the more money you can ask for in return. It isn’t a question of chasing; rather, a question of creating value and serving.

A person chasing money and security is of the mindset that they should be paid a lot for very little. This person often stresses out, makes demands, complains about problems, plays the victim, and behaves selfishly. The ongoing concern with getting rather than giving leaves this person unwilling to serve anyone in any useful or valuable way.

You cannot do anything well in a state of panic. A selfish mind cannot serve. Stop chasing the result. Instead, you can meditate. Relax a bit. Slow down. Just do your work every day, then step back. If you keep going, keep getting better, and simply do your best, then the outcome is certain.

The Tao Te Ching is a book of seeming irony. To the mind, it seems that every piece of wisdom it offers goes against conventional wisdom. But to live it is to walk the path to serenity.