And each time you do so, you impact not just yourself, but everyone and everything around you. In this book, we will look at all the places where power has been distorted and bring it back to light. By doing so, you’ll see the Butterfly Effect at work: the smallest of choices can set in motion a myriad of consequences. Walking in the Way of the Tao, you’ll learn to choose, so that your personal power has the greatest impact. You’ll learn to understand and activate the power of your words, your thoughts, and your commitment to that which you wish to change.
The second pillar is Presence, and we will explore your relationship to it. Presence is the ability to exist in the moment with no thought of past or future. All great spiritual teachers have noted that the key to fulfillment and joy is to learn to be in the now. It is also critical to developing influence, since people who are present and in the fullness of life as it exists here and now are the same people who are fully trusted, counted on for their wisdom, and able to move mountains with their words. Gandhi, Jesus, and Mother Theresa were all examples of people who shifted the course of history and taught great things with their presence and power. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” And by being that change, we influence others to do the same.
Presence, like power, has always existed within us. In fact, presence is who we are when we strip away all that we are not. When our doubts and fears and illusions of fear-based beliefs are dissolved for good, then presence can be with us always. Presence enables us to experience leadership without experiencing the push and pull of agendas and motivations, and so is foundational to the wisdom teachings of the Tao. In Verse 4 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu says, “Tao is empty, yet it fills every vessel with endless supply. Tao is hidden, yet it shines in every corner of the universe.”
The third pillar of influence is Purpose, of which there are two types. The first type is our soul’s purpose, that is, what we have come here to do and the potential we’ve come to this world to fully express. When we focus on fulfilling the mission of our purpose, we will either naturally influence others to take up our mission or we will inspire them to pursue and fulfill their own mission. In many cases, our journey will provide clarity to people who feel lost and without purpose themselves. The second type of purpose consists of the reason that we came to this earth—the bigger Divine Purpose we all share—which is to love. Period. No other purpose, but to love.
The final pillar of influence is Potential. What is possible for us, for others, and for our evolution as a species? How open are we to create a new reality? Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Developing an openness to potential is a core component of being a change-maker. Please note that I did not say, “disrupter.” In the Way of the Tao, leaders do not push, pull or destroy; they work in flow and harmony to create something new. When we are in creation energy—the energy of possibility—positive, lasting influence is more likely to occur.
The Four Pillars
• Power
• Presence
• Purpose
• Potential
Our relationships to potential, like power, presence, and purpose, are relationships that invite us to observe our thoughts, actions, and choices. Making space for potential, treating it as sacred, and asking for assistance from both your earthly team and your Divine Team is critical.
One of the least talked-about characteristics of powerful influencers is their reliance on Divine support—the unseen, the intangible, the mystical. When influencers speak of potential and possibility, they are visionaries asking us to see things that are not yet recognized by the human eye. They pull things into existence that were never there before, because they have faith in, and are working collaboratively with, Divine Power.
About This Book
As a part of my research for this book, I had the great pleasure of interviewing numerous global influencers, all of whom had something in common: their journeys were launched on a foundation of personal development. They each journeyed within first and came to know themselves through the process of self-examination. Bestselling author of Mass Influence, Teresa de Grosbois, said it this way: “The biggest turning point for me was the moment I made the decision to do my own personal development work. During that time, my business had failed, my marriage ended, and my health was in a tailspin. So, I had an idea to renovate my home, and as I was in the bathroom working on the tiles, the only thought I had was how utterly unhappy I was. I could not point to a time in the past ten years that made me feel happy. I decided that I needed to be renovated, not the bathroom. It was from that point forward that life slowly started to transform for me. Change had to start with me, and changing myself. You have to do the inner work to do the outer work.”
This book guides you to do the inner work, in keeping with the principles of the Tao. Through these pages, you will have the opportunity to dedicate yourself to become a change-maker and influence others for the collective good. It may be challenging at times, but it is worth it. As Robert Frost put it, “It has made all the difference.”
This book is designed to help you evolve your personal capacity for influence and empowerment and guide you to explore your potential both in the earthly realm and the Divine realm. Your ability to walk in both worlds is what I call the Holy Flow, which leads to enduring and infinite influence.
Within each chapter, you will discover how the ancient truths of the Tao can become your current reality. At the end of each chapter, you’ll have an opportunity to reflect on, and take steps to integrate many of the profound teachings of the Tao into your life. Like all sacred teachings, each one is eternal and can sustain you consistently. When you apply them to the Four Pillars, using the practical, everyday processes in this book, you will discover a new state of influence: the Way of the Tao. In that state, people will feel your heart, soul, and your commitment, and be moved to act in ways that serve the greater good.
I will also describe how you can bring your mystical relationship with the Divine into much-needed action. We will explore mastery, and the ability to create at a high level. You might be motivated to begin or join a movement, for example, or to become an activist. As the Tao Te Ching often states, it is vital that our influence not be self-indulgent and expressed only within our own private desires. It’s important to support the many people and the environment in ways that alleviate widespread suffering and destruction of all that is good.
The words “Tao Te Ching” mean “living and applying the Great Way.” What is the Great Way? Scholars have debated that for centuries. But, since I will be referring to the Way of the Tao frequently throughout this book, the closest explanation I can offer is to say that it is the essence of love. The Tao speaks to what often gets in the way of love; the awareness of interruption in our natural state of love is at the heart of the Tao. And with awareness, comes transformation. I quote liberally from the Tao Te Ching (Translator, Jonathan Star) so that you can experience the Way of the Tao, influencing real and lasting change.
The Sage helps all things come to know the truth they have forgotten.
—Tao Te Ching, Verse 64
Power is a mystery to most of us. People often think of it as either a positive or a negative force: something
