THE NEXT YEAR, A FULL YEAR, AND IN THAT YEAR,
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS I WOULD LIKE
TO READ EACH VERSE -- THERE ARE 81 VERSES
IN "THE TAO TE CHING." YOU CAN READ IT IN AN AFTERNOON, BUT YOU CAN STUDY IT
FOR A LIFETIME. AND IN THE STUDYING OF THIS,
I SAID I WOULD LIKE TO JUST TAKE THOSE
365 DAYS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, AND IN EVERY FOUR DAYS,
I'M GOING TO READ ONE VERSE. SOME OF THEM
ARE ONLY FOUR LINES LONG. SOME OF THEM
ARE 12, 16 LINES LONG. I'M GOING TO CREATE FOR MYSELF A WAY OF SEEING
IF I CAN LIVE THIS "TAO." AND WHAT I DID
WAS I WOULD READ IT, THEN I WOULD MEDITATE ON IT. I WOULD WALK ON IT.
I WOULD GO SWIM ON IT. WHEN I WOULD DO YOGA,
I WOULD PRACTICE IT. AND THEN I WOULD SIT DOWN
AFTER THE FOURTH DAY, AND I HAD A PICTURE OF THE MAN WHO WAS CONSIDERED
TO BE THE AUTHOR OF THIS, ALTHOUGH THERE'S
NO HISTORICAL ACTUAL RECORD, ALTHOUGH HIS NAME LAO-TZU. THIS IS THE VISAGE
THAT I LOOKED AT. THIS IS THE IMAGE OF AN ARTIST'S
DRAWING OF LAO-TZU -- IN ANCIENT CHINESE MEANS
"OLD MAN" -- "OLD MAN." HE WAS THE OLD MAN
WHO WAS LIVING IN CHINA IN THE TIME
OF THE WARRING STATES, AND HE DECIDED
HE DIDN'T WANT ANY MORE TO DO WITH WAR AND VIOLENCE
AND HATRED AND KILLING AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE
SO MUCH A PART OF HIS WORLD. AND HE GOT ON HIS OXEN
AND HE LEFT. AND BEFORE HE LEFT
TO GO OFF AND BE BY HIMSELF, HE DICTATED
SOME 5,000 CHINESE CHARACTERS, THESE 81 VERSES
THAT BECAME "THE TAO TE CHING." THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE
WHO CALL "THE TAO TE CHING" THE WISEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN. IF YOU GOOGLE THIS THING
CALLED "THE TAO TE CHING," YOU'LL COME UP
WITH OVER 1,300,000 HITS ON "THE TAO TE CHING." NOT ONLY THAT, THERE ARE 14,000 TRANSLATIONS
OF "THE TAO TE CHING" THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS. SO WHAT I DID IS
I TOOK 10 OF THOSE TRANSLATIONS, THE ONES THAT SEEMED TO BE
THE MOST RELEVANT, THE ONES THAT SEEMED TO HAVE
THE MOST MEANING TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN
THIS PART OF THE WESTERN WORLD, AND I COMBINED THEM
INTO WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST USEFUL TRANSLATION
OF "THE TAO TE CHING." AND EACH MORNING, I WOULD GET UP AND I WOULD LOOK AT THIS PICTURE
AND I WOULD ASK, "WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD SAY
TO THE PEOPLE "WHO ARE LIVING NOW
AT THIS TIME, "GIVEN THE CONDITIONS THAT
WE HAVE IN OUR LIFE RIGHT HERE, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD DO?" MANY PEOPLE CALL THIS A MANUAL
FOR ACHIEVING A WAY OF LIFE THAT LITERALLY GUARANTEES
INTEGRITY, JOY, PEACE, AND BALANCE IN OUR LIFE. NOW, THERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS
A CONTEMPORARY OF LAO-TZU. HIS NAME WAS CONFUCIUS. HE WAS MANY YEARS YOUNGER
THAN LAO-TZU, BUT HE KEPT HEARING
ABOUT THIS OLD MAN WHO HAD
ALL OF THIS GREAT WISDOM. AND ONE DAY HE DECIDED
THAT HE WAS GOING TO GO, LEGEND SAYS, AND VISIT LAO-TZU. AND HE SPENT A FULL DAY
LISTENING TO THIS MAN, BECAUSE CONFUCIUS
WAS SOMEONE IN CHINA WHO WAS TRYING TO LAY DOWN
ALL THE RULES OF ETIQUETTE AND HOW TO CONDUCT YOURSELF AND TRYING TO DICTATE TO
THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE. LAO-TZU HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH ANY OF THAT. AND WHEN HE WENT TO SEE LAO-TZU, HE CAME BACK AND HE TALKED
TO ALL OF HIS PEOPLE, AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAID. HE SAID, "OF BIRDS, I KNOW
THEY HAVE WINGS TO FLY WITH. "OF FISH, THAT THEY HAVE FINS
TO SWIM WITH. "OF WILD BEASTS,
THAT THEY HAVE FEET TO RUN WITH. "FOR FEET, THERE ARE TRAPS. "FOR FINS, THERE ARE NETS. "FOR WINGS, ARROWS. "BUT WHO KNOWS
HOW DRAGONS SURMOUNT WIND "AND CLOUD INTO HEAVEN. THIS DAY I HAVE SEEN LAO-TZU,
AND HE IS A DRAGON." AND THERE HE IS -- A DRAGON. AND A DRAGON,
IN ANCIENT CHINESE, WAS A PICTURE OF SOMEONE
OR SOMETHING THAT WAS SO MYSTERIOUS
AND SO DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND BECAUSE IT COULD ALWAYS BE
SOMETHING ELSE. THERE WAS A GREAT TEACHER
WHO CAME MANY YEARS AFTER THAT. HIS NAME WAS RUMI,
JALAL AD-DIN AR-RUMI, WHO WAS A GREAT POET, A PERSIAN
POET IN THE 14th CENTURY. AND HE HAD A LINE, HE SAID,
"THE DAY THAT YOU WERE BORN, A LADDER WAS SET UP TO HELP YOU
TO ESCAPE FROM THIS WORLD." I BELIEVE
THAT "THE TAO TE CHING" AND THIS THING THAT I HAVE DONE, THIS "CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS,
CHANGE YOUR LIFE" EFFORT THAT I SPENT ONE FULL YEAR ON, EVERY SINGLE DAY
DOING EXACTLY WHAT I JUST SAID, IS A LADDER
THAT WILL HELP YOU TO RETURN. IN THE "TAO,"
THERE'S A VERY FAMOUS LINE, THE 40th VERSE
OF THE "TAO" SAYS, "RETURNING IS
THE MOTION OF THE TAO." "RETURNING IS
THE MOTION OF THE TAO." SO THAT ALL OF US CAME FROM
A DIVINE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE -- INVISIBLE. EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD OF FORM EMANATED FROM SOMETHING
THAT IS FORMLESS. THERE WAS A SPLIT SECOND WHEN YOU WENT
FROM NON-BEING TO BEING. AND WHAT LAO-TZU
WAS TRYING TO TEACH WAS TO BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THAT PLACE
FROM WHICH YOU CAME AND LIVE YOUR LIFE
FROM THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE AND BECOME A GOD-REALIZED BEING. ANOTHER GREAT POET, T.S. ELIOT,
ONCE SAID, "WE SHALL NOT CEASE
FROM EXPLORATION. "AND AT THE END
OF ALL OF OUR EXPLORING "WILL BE
TO ARRIVE WHERE WE STARTED AND TO KNOW THE PLACE
FOR THE FIRST TIME." "FOR THE FIRST TIME." WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO, AND WHAT LAO-TZU
SEEMED TO BE SAYING, WAS LEARN TO DIE
WHILE YOU'RE ALIVE, BECAUSE
YOU WILL ULTIMATELY RETURN. ALL OF US HAVE A RETURN TRIP, A ROUND-TRIP TICKET
WHEN WE CAME IN, DIDN'T WE? BUT IF YOU COULD LEARN TO DIE
WHILE YOU'RE ALIVE -- AND THERE'S A GREAT STORY.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS STORY. I WANT TO READ THIS STORY
TO YOU. IT'S A WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IDEA
OF DYING WHILE YOU'RE ALIVE. IT GOES LIKE THIS. TO DIE WHILE WE ARE ALIVE GIVES US THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY
WE WILL EVER HAVE TO GET OUTSIDE OF THIS PACKAGE
THAT HOUSES US TEMPORARILY. THERE'S AN ANCIENT PARABLE THAT REPEATED
GENERATION AFTER GENERATION BY THE SPIRITUAL MASTERS
OF INDIA WHICH ILLUSTRATES THIS POINT. LISTEN TO THIS WONDERFUL STORY. "A TRAVELER FROM INDIA
WENT TO AFRICA "TO ACQUIRE
SOME LOCAL PRODUCTS AND ANIMALS, "AND WHILE IN THE JUNGLE, "HE SAW THOUSANDS OF BEAUTIFUL
MULTICOLORED TALKING PARROTS. "HE DECIDED
TO CAPTURE A TALKING PARROT "AND TAKE IT BACK AS HIS PET. "AT HOME,
HE KEPT HIS PARROT IN A CAGE, "AND HE FED HIM AND HE GAVE HIM
WONDERFUL SEEDS AND HONEY "AND PLAYED MUSIC FOR HIS PET. "AND GENERALLY,
HE TREATED HIM VERY WELL. "WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE MAN "TO RETURN TO AFRICA
TWO YEARS LATER, "HE ASKED HIS PARROT
IF THERE WAS ANY MESSAGE "THAT HE COULD DELIVER
TO THE PARROT'S FRIENDS "WHO WERE BACK IN THE JUNGLE. "WELL, THE PARROT
TOLD HIS MASTER TO SAY "THAT HE WAS VERY HAPPY
IN HIS CAGE "AND THAT HE WAS ENJOYING
EACH DAY AND TO CONVEY HIS LOVE. "WELL, WHEN THE TRAVELER
ARRIVED BACK IN AFRICA, "HE DELIVERED THE MESSAGE TO
THE PARROTS BACK IN THE JUNGLE. "JUST AS HE FINISHED HIS STORY, "A PARROT WITH TEARS WELLING
UP IN HIS EYES FELL OVER DEAD. "THE MAN WAS ALARMED,
AND HE DECIDED THAT THE PARROT "MUST HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE
TO THE PARROT IN THE CAGE "AND THAT
THIS WAS PROBABLY THE REASON "FOR THE SADNESS
AND FOR HIS DEMISE. "WHEN THE TRAVELER
RETURNED TO INDIA, "HE TOLD HIS PET
WHAT HAD HAPPENED. "AS HE FINISHED HIS STORY, "THE PET PARROT'S EYES
WELLED UP WITH TEARS "AND HE KNEELED OVER
DEAD IN HIS CAGE. "THE MAN WAS ASTOUNDED,
BUT HE FIGURED THAT HIS PET DIED "FROM THE DESPAIR
OF HEARING OF THE DEATH "OF HIS CLOSE FRIEND
BACK IN THE JUNGLE. "THE TRADER OPENED UP THE CAGE "AND TOSSED THE DEAD BIRD
OUTSIDE ONTO THE TRASH HEAP. "IMMEDIATELY, THE PET PARROT "FLEW UP TO A BRANCH
ON THE TREE OUTSIDE. "THE TRADER SAID TO HIM,
'SO, YOU'RE NOT DEAD AFTER ALL. WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
YOU TRICKED ME.' "AND THE PARROT RESPONDED, "'BECAUSE THAT BIRD
BACK IN AFRICA "SENT ME
A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE.'" "'WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE?'
THE TRADER WANTED TO KNOW. "'HE TOLD ME THAT IF YOU WANT
TO ESCAPE FROM YOUR CAGE, YOU MUST DIE
WHILE YOU'RE ALIVE.'" WE MUST INDEED DIE
WHILE WE ARE ALIVE. "IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO LOOK
BACK AT OUR WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS "AND SEE OURSELVES
TRAPPED IN OUR CAGE, "WHICH IN OUR CASE IS OUR BODY, "AND THEN WE WILL SEE
HOW UNNECESSARY IT IS TO REMAIN CAGED." ISN'T THAT A GREAT STORY?
I LOVE THAT STORY. YEAH, YOU CAN APPLAUD. [ APPLAUSE ] WHAT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO IS TO CREATE FOR YOURSELF
A SACRED SPACE. AND IN THIS SACRED SPACE,
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PLACE EVERYTHING THAT HAS
ENERGY VALUE TO YOU. PHOTOGRAPHS. I HAVE THIS PHOTOGRAPH THAT I
LOOKED AT EVERY DAY FOR ONE YEAR AND BEGAN TO TALK TO
AFTER A WHILE. [ LAUGHTER ] IT'S A LITTLE WEIRD,
BUT YOU BEGIN TO GET THIS IDEA. AND THOSE OF YOU WHO WONDER
WHY I AM WEARING NO SHOES, I'D LIKE YOU TO KNOW
THAT WHERE I LIVE, YOU NEVER WALK INTO A SACRED
SPACE WITH YOUR SHOES ON. IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED
DISHONORABLE TO DO SO. AND TO ME,
THIS STAGE, THIS SETTING, THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE
AND THIS BEAUTIFUL SYMBOL IS A SACRED, SACRED SPACE. I LIVE WITHOUT SHOES. I HEARD IT SAID ONCE THAT IF YOU
WEAR SHOES EVERYWHERE YOU GO, THE WHOLE EARTH
WILL FEEL LIKE LEATHER. AND IT'S NICE TO FEEL
WHAT THE EARTH FEELS LIKE AND TO FEEL THAT NATURALNESS. SO IN THAT SACRED SPACE, YOU WILL FEEL THE ENERGY
OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS, OF ANY MEMENTOS THAT YOU HAVE,
OF PICTURES OF YOUR CHILDREN, OF DRAWINGS, OF STATUES, OF ANYTHING AT ALL
THAT YOU CAN THINK OF. I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SACRED SPACE,
AND IT CALLS ME. AND AS IT CALLS ME, WHEN I GO INTO THAT PLACE THAT
IS SO PROFOUNDLY SACRED TO ME, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS
BEGIN TO HAPPEN FOR ME, PARTICULARLY
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS UP
AND I FEEL CLOSEST TO GOD. AND I FEEL CLOSEST
TO THIS BEAUTIFUL OLD MAN WHO SENT
SO MANY IMPORTANT MESSAGES TO ME THROUGH HIS "TAO TE CHING"
AND IN MY MEDITATIONS TO HELP ME
TO CREATE THIS PROGRAM "CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS,
CHANGE YOUR LIFE: LIVING THE WISDOM OF THE TAO." WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO NOW IS TO LOOK
AT SOME OF THE KEY THOUGHTS THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU
TO THINK ABOUT AND CONSIDER CHANGING
AS YOU BECOME A PERSON WHO BECOMES MORE GOD-REALIZED -- THAT IS, SOMEONE WHO HAS DIED
BUT STAYED ALIVE AND RETURNED AND WENT BACK
ON THAT RETURN TRIP. THE FIRST OF THESE THOUGHTS
TO CHANGE IS TO CHANGE THE IDEA THAT
"I CAN'T TRUST IN MY OWN NATURE" TO "I TRUST IN MY OWN NATURE." DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU
THAT YOU HAVE A NATURE, THAT THAT NATURE IS SO PROFOUND
AND IS ALWAYS CALLING YOU? YOU KNOW IT.
NO ONE ELSE CAN KNOW IT. NO ONE ELSE
CAN IMPOSE IT ON YOU. NO ONE ELSE CAN TELL YOU
WHAT IT IS THAT YOU FEEL IN HERE THAT YOU KNOW IS WHY YOU'RE HERE
AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE. THERE'S NO ONE ELSE CAN EXPLAIN
THAT OR EXPLORE THAT WITH YOU. YOU CAN'T SHARE IT. EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE
HAS A NATURE. YOUR DOG HAS A NATURE.
A CROCODILE HAS A NATURE. A DUCK HAS A NATURE.
A CROW HAS A NATURE. EVERYTHING HAS ITS NATURE. EVERYTHING HAS A DHARMA,
INCLUDING YOU. BUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED
AND WE'VE GROWN UP TO BELIEVE IS THAT "I CAN'T TRUST
IN THAT NATURE." MY NATURE --
TO TRUST IN YOUR NATURE, TO KNOW THAT YOU CAME FROM
A DIVINE PLACE OF WELL-BEING AND TO TRUST IN IT. LISTEN TO THIS -- VERSE 38
OF THE "TAO," A FEW LINES. "THE GREAT MASTER
FOLLOWS HIS OWN NATURE "AND NOT THE TRAPPINGS OF LIFE. "A TRULY GOOD MAN
IS NOT AWARE OF HIS GOODNESS AND IS THEREFORE GOOD." THINK ABOUT YOURSELF,
THE FIRST MOMENT OF LIFE, THE VERY FIRST MOMENT, THAT SPECK WHEN YOU WENT
FROM NOWHERE, N-O-W-H-E-R-E, TO NOW HERE, N-O-W H-E-R-E. FROM NOWHERE TO NOW HERE. SAME THING -- JUST A LITTLE
QUESTION OF SPACING. IT'S JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT
SPACING, ALL RIGHT? SO YOU WENT FROM NOWHERE.
NOW YOU'RE IN NOW HERE. AND WHERE DO YOU THINK
YOU'RE GOING? NOWHERE. [ LAUGHTER ] RIGHT? BACK TO NOWHERE. WHO OUT THERE WATCHING, WHO IN THIS AUDIENCE
ISN'T GOING BACK TO NOWHERE? THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ALL HEADED --
BACK TO NOWHERE. SO IN THAT SPLIT SECOND, THEN YOU LIVED INSIDE YOUR
MOTHER'S WOMB FOR NINE MONTHS. AND IN THAT
NINE-MONTH PERIOD OF TIME, YOU TRUSTED YOUR NATURE. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A SONOGRAM
AND SAY, "MY GOD, I DON'T HAVE A NOSE. THIS IS VERY SCARY. WHAT IF IT DOESN'T SHOW UP
ON TIME?" YOU DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT. YOU TRUSTED COMPLETELY
IN YOUR OWN NATURE, RIGHT? AND SO DID YOUR MOTHER. THERE'S VERY LITTLE
THAT YOU CAN DO, BECAUSE WHAT YOU WERE TO BECOME, EVERYTHING THAT
THIS PHYSICAL BODY NEEDED, IT WAS ALL HANDLED IN THERE. AND ALSO, BEYOND WHAT WAS NEEDED
FOR YOUR PHYSICAL WORLD AND WHAT LAO-TZU CALLED "THE
WORLD OF THE 10,000 THINGS," THE 10,000 THINGS. THERE'S 10 ZILLION THINGS,
OBVIOUSLY, IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD,
BUT THAT'S HOW HE NAMED IT -- "THE WORLD
OF THE 10,000 THINGS." AND IN THAT WORLD
OF THE 10,000 THINGS, EVERYTHING RETURNS
BACK TO ITS SOURCE. BUT WHILE YOU'RE IN THAT -- AND WHY WOULDN'T YOU BELIEVE,
EVEN MAYBE FOR A SECOND, THAT "NOT ONLY WAS MY PHYSIOLOGY
ALL HANDLED FOR ME, "BUT EVERYTHING ELSE
THAT I NEEDED -- "IF I COULD
JUST STOP INTERFERING WITH IT AND STOP OTHER PEOPLE
FROM DOING IT." AND THAT'S A BIG PART
OF UNDERSTANDING "CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS,
CHANGE YOUR LIFE." IT'S A BIG PART OF THAT, THE IDEA THAT "I HAVE A NATURE
THAT I CAN TRUST, "NOT SOMETHING
THAT I HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF. I CAN STOP LETTING OTHER PEOPLE
INTERFERE WITH IT, AS WELL." SO WHAT HAPPENS? WE GO THROUGH THOSE NINE MONTHS
TOTALLY UNINTERRUPTED. WE HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
EVERYTHING WORKS OUT. AND THEN WHAT? WE SAY, THE VERY FIRST THING,
WE POP OUT AFTER NINE MONTHS, "WE'LL TAKE OVER FROM HERE.
THAT WAS GOOD WORK. "NICE WORK, GOD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS JUST
SORT OF EDGE YOU OUT OF HERE." SO WE EDGE GOD OUT. WE TAKE ON AN EGO -- E-G-O. AND WE EDGE OUT
AND WE SAY, "WE'LL TAKE OVER." AND WE HAVE AN EGO,
AND THIS EGO, WHAT THIS EGO DOES IS
IT TAKES ON A SET OF BELIEFS, AND THESE BELIEFS ARE
THAT "I AM WHAT I HAVE, THAT I AM WHAT I DO, THAT I AM
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF ME." SO WE'RE RAISED TO BELIEVE THAT
"THE MORE STUFF I ACCUMULATE, "THE MORE THINGS THAT I GET,
THIS IS WHO I AM. THE MORE THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME,
THIS IS WHAT I'LL GET," AND ON AND ON IT GOES. I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY. IT'S A STORY
OF ONE OF MY CHILDREN. HER NAME IS TRACY. WE LIVED IN DETROIT
WHEN SHE WAS BORN. SHE CAME IN
AS A LITTLE REBELLIOUS. SHE CAME IN IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE DETROIT RIOTS, WHEN THEY SAID,
"NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO GO OUT. ANYBODY THAT GOES OUT
IS GOING TO BE ARRESTED." AND SHE SAID, "THIS WOULD BE
A GOOD TIME FOR ME TO SHOW UP." [ LAUGHTER ] WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE DID. SO, WHEN SHE SHOWED UP, AFTER ABOUT THE SECOND OR THIRD
YEAR, TRACY WENT TO PRESCHOOL. AND SHE CAME HOME FROM
PRESCHOOL -- SHE WAS ABOUT 3 -- AND IN THAT TIME,
SHE CAME HOME AND SHE SAID -- SHE HANDED ME A PAPER, AND IT HAD A GOLD STAR
AT THE TOP OF THE PAPER. I LOOKED AT IT, AND SHE SAID,
"DADDY, DADDY, DADDY! DADDY! I GOT A GOLD STAR!
I GOT A GOLD STAR!" I SAID, "I'M NOT
REALLY INTERESTED IN GOLD STARS. BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT IS THIS?" SHE SAID, "WELL, WE DID SOMETHING
IN SCHOOL CALLED ADDING, AND I GOT THEM ALL RIGHT
AND I KNOW HOW." I SAID, "ADDING?!
YOU'RE 3! YOU CAN'T LEARN TO ADD
WHEN YOU'RE 3!" AND I WENT THROUGH
THIS WHOLE LONG THING ABOUT ADDING
AND HOW TERRIFIC IT WAS. AND SHE KEPT SAYING,
"DADDY, THE GOLD STAR. "EXCUSE ME, BUT I WAS
THE ONLY ONE IN THE CLASS "THAT GOT A GOLD STAR. I GOT THEM ALL RIGHT." I SAID, "YOU KNOW, TRACY, HONEY, "SOME PEOPLE JUST NEED
TO HAVE GOLD STARS, "AND TEACHERS SORT OF LIKE
TO GIVE IT OUT "AND MAKE THAT THE REASON
WHY YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING "AND SET YOU APART
FROM EVERYBODY ELSE. "BUT YOUR DAD DOESN'T
REALLY CARE MUCH ABOUT THAT "AND HOW YOU STACK UP
WITH OTHERS. I'M MORE INTERESTED
IN WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING." AND SHE SAID, "OKAY."
SHE WAS USED TO THAT. SHE HAD A WEIRD DADDY,
AND SHE KNEW THAT. SO ABOUT ANOTHER MONTH OR SO,
SHE CAME HOME WITH A PAPER THAT HAD LOOKED LIKE
IT HAD HAD A GOLD STAR ON IT BUT IT OBVIOUSLY
HAD BEEN TAKEN OFF. HER LITTLE THUMBPRINTS
WERE ALL OVER IT. THERE WAS A PLACE THERE'D BEEN
A GOLD STAR. IT WAS TAKEN OFF. AND I SAID, "WHAT'S THIS?" OH, SHE SAID,
"WE'RE NOW DOING SUBTRACTION." AND I SAID, "SUBTRACTION?!
THAT'S AMAZING!" I TOOK OVER BY HER DRESSER,
I SAID, "YOU KNOW THAT MONEY
YOU'VE GOT IN YOUR PIGGY BANK?" I PUT IT IN MY POCKET,
I SAID, "THAT'S CALLED SUBTRACTION.
ISN'T THAT GREAT?" AND SHE SAID,
"GIVE ME THAT MONEY BACK." AND WE TALKED AND TALKED
ABOUT SUBTRACTION. FINALLY,
I COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. I SAID, "HONEY, WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT WAS THIS? WHAT WAS HERE ON THE PAPER?" AND SHE SAID, "OH, THAT. THE TEACHER GAVE ME ANOTHER
ONE OF THOSE GOLD STARS." I SAID, "REALLY?
WELL, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?" "OH," SHE SAID, "I TOOK IT OFF." I SAID, "WELL,
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?" SHE SAID,
"I GAVE IT BACK TO HER." I SAID, "WELL,
WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?" SHE SAID, "OH, I TOLD HER
TO GIVE IT TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS THAT SORT OF THING." [ LAUGHTER ] TRUE STORY. AND THERE SHE IS.
SHE'S STANDING RIGHT HERE. SHE'S GOING TO BE 40
THIS YEAR -- MY DAUGHTER, TRACY. SO, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS LEARN
HOW TO TAKE THIS EGO OF OURS, THIS PART OF US THAT BELIEVES
THAT WHO WE ARE IS WHAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE DO AND
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF US. BUT REMEMBER, IF YOU GROW UP BELIEVING
THAT YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO, THEN WHEN YOU DON'T, YOU AREN'T. AND IF YOU BELIEVE
THAT YOU ARE WHAT YOU HAVE, WHEN IT'S GONE, YOU AREN'T. AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU, YOUR REPUTATION, WHICH WE RAISE
PEOPLE TO BELIEVE, "I HAVE TO BE CONCERNED WITH
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF ME." TAKE THIS EGO AND RETRAIN IT. AND ONE OF THE WAYS
THAT YOU DO RETRAIN IT IS FIRST YOU TAKE THIS IDEA
THAT THE EGO HAS OF FEAR. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? ANYBODY OUT THERE,
WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? SHIFT FROM FEAR TO CURIOSITY. BECOME CURIOUS
ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE AFRAID OF. THAT'S WHAT LAO-TZU TAUGHT ME. BECOME CURIOUS
ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE AFRAID OF. YOU'RE AFRAID OF FLYING?
GET CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. GET INTERESTED IN THAT. YOU'RE AFRAID OF SNAKES.
YOU'RE AFRAID OF DISAPPROVAL. JUST SHIFT FROM FEAR AND SAY, "I'M GOING TO BECOME
MORE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT I'M AFRAID OF." AND THEN TAKE ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT YOU'RE ATTACHED TO, LIKE ALL OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS,
LIKE ALL OF YOUR FURNITURE, LIKE ALL OF YOUR CLOTHING, LIKE ALL OF THE STUFF THAT
YOU FIND SO MUCH ATTACHMENT TO AND START LETTING IT GO. START LETTING IT GO. YOU KNOW, THE DAY
THAT I TURNED THAT KEY ON MAY THE 11th IN 2006, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW
WHERE I WAS GOING. I JUST KNEW THERE WAS A SHIFT
THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE. I FELT FREER THAN I'D EVER FELT
I THINK IN MY LIFE, IN MY MID-60s, OUT THERE
ON A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE. AND HERE WE ARE, TALKING
ABOUT IT ON NATIONAL TELEVISION, ON PBS. TAKE THAT IDEA THAT YOU HAVE TO
BE ATTACHED TO THINGS AND KNOW THAT YOU CAME IN
WITH NOTHING, WITH NO THING, AND YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE
WITH NOTHING, WITH NO THING. AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR LIFE
IS A PARENTHESES IN ETERNITY. LIVE THERE WITHOUT ATTACHMENT. AND THEN TAKE YOUR NEED
TO BE IN CONTROL OF YOURSELF, OF OTHERS,
OF A SITUATION, AND SHIFT FROM CONTROL TO TRUST. BEGIN TO HAVE A TRUST. LAO-TZU IS PROFOUND ABOUT THIS. IN EACH ONE OF THE 81 VERSES,
IT COMES UP ABOUT 60 TIMES AS YOU LOOK AT LETTING GO
AND LETTING GOD, ALLOWING YOURSELF
TO TRUST IN YOUR NATURE, ALLOWING YOURSELF
TO NO LONGER BELIEVE THAT "EVERYTHING HAS TO BE
CONTROLLED BY ME" AND THAT "OTHER PEOPLE NO LONGER HAVE TO
BE IN CONTROL OF ME, AS WELL." BEGIN TO TRUST, JUST LIKE YOU
DID FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS. YOU TRUSTED. YOUR NOSE SHOWED UP.
YOUR HEIGHT SHOWED UP. YOUR EYES SHOWED UP --
WHATEVER. IT ALL SHOWED UP.
IT'S ALL PERFECT. WHY NOT WANDER THROUGH YOUR LIFE AND HAVE
THIS WONDERFUL, PEACEFUL KNOWING THAT IT'S ALL FINE? AND FINALLY, SHIFT
FROM YOUR SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT. "NOBODY CAN TREAT ME THAT WAY.
I'M ENTITLED TO HAVE THIS. WELL, I PAID FOR THAT." LET GO. IN ONE YEAR, I LET GO
OF ALL OF MY ENTITLEMENTS. I DON'T FEEL I'M ENTITLED
TO ANYTHING. I'M JUST HERE. SHIFT FROM ENTITLEMENTS
TO RADICAL HUMILITY. LAO-TZU SPEAKS ABOUT IT
SO OFTEN -- "STAY HUMBLE. STAY LOW." THE GREATEST LEADERS
ARE THE ONES WHO DO THE LEAST, THE ONES WHO STAY BACK
AND JUST MODEL AND ALLOW. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IN ONE OF THE VERSES
OF THE "TAO," IT SAYS, "THE PEOPLE WILL SAY
WE DID IT OURSELVES, WE DID IT OURSELVES." IN VERSE 49
OF "THE TAO TE CHING," HERE'S AN EXACT QUOTE. "THE SAGE IS KIND TO THE KIND
AND KIND TO THE UNKIND BECAUSE THE NATURE OF HIS BEING
IS KINDNESS." AND ALSO, BE WISE AND HELP ALL BEINGS IMPARTIALLY,
ABANDONING NONE. YOU KNOW WHAT I DO? JUST BEFORE I DID THIS PROGRAM,
I HAVE TO ADMIT, I WAS NERVOUS. I WAS HUMBLED BY IT. LIKE, "WHO ARE YOU, WAYNE DYER? "WHO ARE YOU TO READ THE 'TAO' "AND BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN
INTERPRET IT ON TELEVISION AND INTERPRET IT IN A BOOK
AND SPEND A YEAR?" I GOT REAL HUMBLE WITH THAT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY? "TAO," WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER
WORD FOR "GOD" OR "SOURCE" OR "KRISHNA" OR "ALLAH"
OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, "GUIDE ME. GUIDE ME NOW." I HAVE THAT AWARENESS
BEFORE I COME OUT. "IF YOU KNEW," IT SAYS
IN THE COURSE IN MIRACLES, "IF YOU KNEW
WHO WALKED BESIDE YOU "AT ALL TIMES ON THIS PATH
THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN, YOU COULD NEVER EXPERIENCE
FEAR OR DOUBT AGAIN." I REMEMBER MOTHER TERESA
SAYING TO A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE WHO WAS ASKING WHAT COULD HE DO, WHAT COULD HE DO
TO DO SOMETHING FOR HER. HIS NAME WAS PAT McMAHON. HE WAS ON K-T-A-R RADIO
IN PHOENIX. AND FINALLY,
MOTHER TERESA SAID TO HIM, "YOU<i> CAN</i> DO SOMETHING FOR ME." SHE SAID, "TOMORROW MORNING,
GET UP AT 4:00 A.M. "AND GO OUT
ONTO THE STREETS OF PHOENIX "AND FIND SOMEONE
WHO'S LIVING THERE WHO BELIEVES THAT HE'S ALONE "AND CONVINCE HIM THAT HE'S NOT. THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN DO." THAT'S HOW SAINTS TALK.
THAT'S HOW LAO-TZU SPOKE. OKAY. LET'S GO ON TO
THE NEXT THOUGHT -- THE CHANGE. SO YOU'RE CHANGING FROM<i>
NOT</i> TRUSTING IN YOUR NATURE TO TRUSTING IN YOUR NATURE. YOU CHANGE YOUR THOUGHT
FROM "I NEED MORE" TO WHAT I CALL
LIVING CONTENTMENT. WHAT IS THIS THING ABOUT MORE? IT'S THE MANTRA OF THE EGO,
ISN'T IT? "I HAVE TO HAVE MORE.
I HAVE TO COLLECT MORE STUFF. I HAVE TO HAVE MORE FRIENDS.
I HAVE TO HAVE MORE MONEY." IT'S MORE, MORE,
MORE, MORE, MORE, WHEN WHERE YOU CAME FROM,
YOU CAME FROM NOWHERE. YOU DON'T NEED<i> ANYTHING.</i> IT'S A CONTINUOUS BOMBARDMENT
THAT WE ARE ALL EXPOSED TO IN THIS WHOLE WORLD OF BELIEVING
THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LOVE
PUBLIC TELEVISION SO MUCH, YOU DON'T SEE ADS ON PBS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE
CONSTANTLY EXPOSED TO THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE
AND YOU HAVE TO GET MORE, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS,
THEN YOU'RE NOT COMPLETE. SO WE GET BOMBARDED WITH
THIS IDEA OF ATTRACTING MORE. AND LAO-TZU SAYS,
"LIVE CONTENTMENT. LIVE IN A STATE
OF BEING CONTENTED." HERE'S VERSE 81, THE LAST VERSE
OF "THE TAO TE CHING" -- MY FAVORITE TRANSLATION OF IT -- AND I PUT IT
RIGHT INTO THE BOOK. "SAGES DO NOT
ACCUMULATE ANYTHING, "BUT GIVE EVERYTHING TO OTHERS, HAVING MORE THE MORE THEY GIVE." IT'S A GREAT LESSON. MY SON SANS, WHO'S -- YOU KNOW,
WE'RE VERY, VERY CLOSE. WE JUST SPENT A COUPLE OF MONTHS
TOGETHER OVER ON MAUI JUST BEING TOGETHER, JUST BEING. IT WAS A DIVINE TIME. AND HE CAME HOME WITH --
IT WAS LAST SUMMER -- HE CAME HOME WITH FOUR T-SHIRTS
THAT HE LOVED. AND I SAID, "WELL, HONEY,
WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE THE BEST?" HE SAID,
"WELL, THAT ONE OVER THERE -- "THAT BLUE ONE
THAT'S GOT THE WRITING AND IT'S GOT THE DRAWING
AND IT'S GOT THE SURFER." I SAID, "THAT'S GREAT.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT ONE." HE SAID, "NO, NO, DAD.
THAT'S MY FAVORITE. THAT'S THE ONE I LIKE THE BEST." I SAID, "I KNOW." I SAID, "WOULD YOU MIND
IF I HAD THAT ONE?" HE SAID, "I WOULD MIND A<i> LOT</i>
IF YOU HAD THAT ONE." HE SAID,
"MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE ONE -- I'M NOT SO CRAZY
ABOUT THIS ONE OVER HERE." I SAID, "SO YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE
ME SOMETHING YOU<i> DON'T</i> LIKE." I SAID, "THAT'S THE ONE.
I LOVE THAT. WE HAVE THE SAME TASTE.
COULD I HAVE THAT ONE?" HE SAID, "DAD, YOU'RE CRAZY. YOU CAN'T HAVE
MY FAVORITE T-SHIRT." I SAID, "WELL,
I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT. "I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT
DETACHING AND LETTING GO AND NOT NEEDING TO HAVE MORE." AND HE'S HEARD ME TALK ABOUT
THIS STUFF HIS ENTIRE LIFE. SO FINALLY, HE JUST, YOU KNOW,
I WENT IN AND I TRIED IT ON AND I SAID,
"OH, THIS THING LOOKS SO GREAT." I'M LOOKING IN THE MIRROR. HE SAID,
"DAD, THAT REALLY IS MINE." AND I SAID, "YEAH, BUT YOU'RE
GOING TO GIVE IT TO ME." HE SAID, "NO, NO."
I SAID, "JUST THINK ABOUT IT. 'CAUSE I'M YOUR DAD, AND I'D
REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THIS." SO HE RELUCTANTLY
PARTED WITH IT. SO, THAT EVENING,
I WAS STILL WEARING THE SHIRT, AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID,
"THAT'S MY SHIRT." I SAID, "YOU KNOW, SANS,
YOU GAVE ME THE SHIRT." I SAID,
"I'M GOING TO WEAR THIS SHIRT "UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY
THAT I HAVE YOUR FAVORITE SHIRT. I'M NEVER GOING TO TAKE IT OFF
UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY."
