“Try to hold it all, and you’ll end up with full hands and an empty heart.”
Sometimes I try to sort life like it’s a sock drawer: label it, optimise it, tick it off. But life doesn’t fit in boxes. It flows, spills, escapes neat tags like steam from a cracked kettle. In Tai Chi, we move around the furniture—not because we’re clumsy, but because we’re paying attention. We learn to Let go and just move.
Chapter 29
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
Chapter read from the book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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“You are not the masterpiece. You’re part of the brushstroke.”
Forget polished. Forget perfect. Embrace the rough bits, the wobble in the form. No-one is asking you to be flawless, it just asks you to show up. In Tai Chi, we don’t hide our cracks, we move with them. And oddly enough, that’s what makes it beautiful. Not the performance. The presence.
Chapter 28
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
Chapter read from the book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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“A brushstroke in the rain.”
This is not a TED Talk. Not a Story or a Reel. Just a quiet act that mattered, even if no one noticed. You don’t have to leave a trail of receipts. Do what needs doing, and slip off before someone tries to give out a ticket. Its Action without applause.
Chapter 27
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
Chapter read from the book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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“Stillness isn’t doing nothing.”
It’s the breath before the kettle clicks off, the weight behind the wiggle. Stillness protects us from the newsfeed, the noise, the urge to constantly leap into action. In Tai Chi, we call it sinking—into the hips, into the moment, into the bit beneath the obvious. The still bit that holds it all together.
Chapter 26
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
Chapter read from the book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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“We’re borrowed atoms wrapped in skin.”
Way back—before time was counted, before clocks, calendars, and digital co-pilots - back when things just were, things didn’t need branding. They just flowed. Quite big, not loud big.
Big Like standing on a windy hill in November with no one else around and realising—oh. So this is it.
Chapter 25
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
Chapter read from the book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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“The stars shine without applause.”
I’m not convinced that when the Milky Way shines, it does so for applause.
It just glows—quietly, consistently, above all our noise. In Tai Chi, we find this in the pause as Waving Hands in Clouds unfolds—it's there not to impress, but because that’s just what it does. No ego. No hashtags. Just movement with meaning.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
Chapter read from the book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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Neither should we. Storms pass. Conversations end. Even the drizzle in Manchester eventually takes a tea break. Nothing hangs around forever, not the weather, not your latest bad mood, not even that awkward thing you said last Tuesday.
The Tao knows when to hush. And in Tai Chi, we don’t fight the elements—we flow with them, hat slightly tilted, coat flapping, quietly amused at it all.
The Silent Workshop (mentioned in this episode)
https://play.21stcenturytaichi.com/b/learn-in-silence
The book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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Not bad advice for knees, and not a bad way to live, either. Strength doesn’t always mean standing firm, it can mean stepping aside, sinking slightly, or letting go of the need to be right.
In Tai Chi, we don’t brace for impact—we absorb it, nod politely, and carry on moving like a leaf that knows where the stream is headed.
Soften. Yield a little. It’s not defeat—it’s design.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
The book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
Sometimes I try to explain something and realise halfway through I’ve completely lost the plot. But that’s life. This is not a stage, there are no big reveals. No neon signs, no “You’ve arrived” notification.
Life just wanders past quietly, probably wearing slippers. It’s about trust—not in maps or mantras, but in the wobbly way your feet somehow find the path even when your brain’s still asking for directions.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me - by the teapotmonk
The book: Nothing to Do Nowhere to Go by Paul Read
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
I’m not chasing upgrades or next-day delivery. Maybe it’s just me, but I can afford to wait.
Life should not be a race. And s when someone shouts behind you - “Hurry up!” Turn and quietly reply, Nah, I’m alright, thanks.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me by the teapotmonk
The book
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL
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I read “10 Ways to Be a Better Human” yesterday and ended up feeling worse than when I started.
Couldn’t help thinking it was trying to fix things that were not broken. Life’s not an IKEA manual.
Sometimes, you’ve got to just let things breathe.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
I find that the more signs a place has—“Don’t sit here,” “No ball games,” “Mind the step” “No sitting, no standing, no running, no talking” — the less fun it usually is.
When we lose the flow, we compensate with a hi-vis yellow vest and a walkie talkie, when maybe, we should just let things wobble back into place.
Episode 18. When the Tao Slips Away
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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You ever meet people who talk for twenty minutes straight and still say nothing?
As soon as they finish and walk of, shouting over their shoulder, been great chatting, must do it again soon.
Yeah, me too.
This chapter’s the opposite of that. It’s a nod to the ones who don’t need to be seen, don’t need to be praised, and somehow leave the biggest mark by not leaving one at all.
Like the person who refills the kettle but doesn’t mention it. Or the Tai Chi player you didn’t even notice had moved until the whole room felt different. This one’s for the quiet doers, the subtle shufflers, and those who vanish mid-conversation with a kind of grace you only notice once they’ve gone.
17 - The unseen dance
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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Ever been so overwhelmed you open six tabs, half write an email, reply to a text message, scroll aimlessly, then decide it’s all too much and you need to go and a lie-down?
This chapter’s the antidote. It says: stop. Shhh. Let the mud settle. Clarity’s not hiding in your inbox—it’s just waiting for you to stop flapping. The Tao’s not shouting over the noise. It’s the bit underneath it all, humming along like the sound of the kettle you almost didn’t hear.
Chapter 16 - The note in the symphony
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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You ever walk into a room and forget why you’re there…or you’re half way through practising a sequence and forget the next move - and then stand perfectly still, like you might remember by osmosis?
That’s sort of the vibe of this chapter. The old masters didn’t stomp their way through life with flowcharts and fitness trackers and geolocation reminders. .
They moved like mist—barely noticed, but everything around them seemed better for it.
This one’s an ode to soft steps, loose shoulders, and not feeling the need to explain everything.
Because, let’s face it—most of it makes more sense when you stop trying so hard.
Chapter 15 - The ones who knew
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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Ever try to remember a dream and the harder you try, the more vague it gets?
That’s this chapter in a nutshell. Or rather, in a cloud of steam.
The Tao doesn’t pose for selfies. It’s not waiting at the end of your to-do list. It shows up when you stop looking for it—like your keys, or that word that was on the tip of your tongue.
This one’s about letting the mystery be… well, mysterious.
Make a brew. Don’t chase the steam. Just watch it rise.
Chapter 14 - Trying to catch the tao in a teacup
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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You ever win something—like a raffle, premium bond, competition —and feel like a genius for five minutes?
And then lose a sock or get ignored in a queue and suddenly you’re questioning your worth?
Yup… that’s the trap.
This chapter’s about stepping off that emotional seesaw.
The Tao’s not watching to see if your reel goes viral. It’s too busy being the tide.
So let’s forget the ratings, skip the validation, and maybe do something just for the joy of it.
Like a cartwheel.
Like a pencil figure sketch of your aunt asleep at the wheel.
Chapter 13 - The scoreboard and the stars
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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You ever start a film, check your phone, answer a text, and then forget what you were even doing?
Welcome to this wonderful but busy life.
This chapter’s a polite tap on the shoulder: Put the plate down, you’ve had enough.
We’re drowning in choice, noise, colour, sound— mines a flat caramelised avocado latte with earl grey oat milk butter - oh and I’d like it served in a large plastic bucket thank you.
Have we lost the capacity to taste life as it is - we’ve forgotten what plain toast tastes like.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
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Ever walked into a cluttered room - you know the sort full of display cabinets, newspapers, ornaments, collection able items - and immediately wanted to walk back out again? That’s what this chapter’s getting at. It’s not the stuff that matters—it’s the space around it.
A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
The book
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL https://taichi-store.com
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A simple rendition of the Tao Te Ching for you and me.
Have you ever been in a room with someone who just knows stuff, but doesn’t feel the need to tell you every detail?
No showing off, no TED Talk energy—just calm presence and maybe the presence of a cracker or a biscuit.
The book
All 81 Chapters are available in both illustrated paperback or ebook formats from here at the Tai Chi store or by following this URL https://taichi-store.com
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