Less Effort, More Power

This week, I came across a book written in 1891, entitled Power Through Repose, which bears a striking resemblance to the Amazon Best Seller, Repose: The Potent Pause that I co-authored with Jhan Kold. The premise of the 19th-Century book can be summarized in one line: "Every day less effort, every day more power." The author, Annie Payson Call, makes two important recommendations: 1) Apply your mental and physical effort precisely so that none of it is wasted; and 2) The right kind of rest at the right times of day can enhance your power.

Related to the first recommendation, I discovered this beautiful video featuring a powerful teaching from Alan Watts. It serves as a reminder of who we really are at the very core of our being, and it puts into perspective all of the struggles, stresses and strains of our lives, which we tend to take so very seriously and expend great amounts of effort to confront. The idea of lila, or divine play, brings ease into the minds of those who grasp it. This is the central idea in my book, The Way of Play. There is no reason to expend effort unnecessarily on worries or concern that are illusory and that ultimately don't matter. 

The second recommendation involves resting mind and body completely. This is why Jhan and I developed Repose in the first place. We understood that when any of us surrender completely to life--even for a few moments-- with an attitude of total mental and physical receptivity, we tap into a boundless power within ourselves. This isn't simply the power to move molecules in the world; it's the energy of bliss that brings us to our true center, where we can emanate into the world as the creative, joyful, healthy, balanced and loving entities that we really are. In this simple act of Repose, we come face-to-face with the very essence of our Vitality.

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