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The TAO of Living for Life

This book is about the art of living well, which is being in the material world we are all living in, but without being of this mundane world. This daunting and challenging task requires profound human wisdom, which comes from TAO wisdom, the ancient wisdom from Lao Tzu, the ancient sage from China, more than 2,600 years ago.

Lao Tzu was the author of the immortal classic Tao Te Ching, made up of 81 short chapters of Chinese poetry on human wisdom, one of the most translated books in world literature.

This book explains the essentials of TAO wisdom, based on Stephen Lau's own translation and interpretation of Lao Tzu's immortal classic Tao Te Ching with his comments after each of the 81 chapters. Living for life is the wisdom of living in this contemporary age. It is not easy, so you need TAO wisdom.

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The TAO of Living for Life shows you the wisdom of living not just for yourself, but also for others as well --  just as the famous English poet John Donne says: "No man is an island."  Once you perceive this intricate inter-connection between people, you will self-intuit the wisdom of Lao Tzu.  After all, according to Lao Tzu, there is no word or blueprint for human wisdom -- it is all about self-intuition.

Stephen Lau

What Is Enlightenment?

Live your life as if everything is a miracle. To do just that, you need enlightenment, not knowledge. Knowledge is different from wisdom in that the former is acquisition of knowledge, while the latter is the intuition of the knowledge gathered. Knowledge may make you smart, but not necessarily wise. Wisdom may lead to even enlightenment, which is profound understanding of the ultimate truths of all matters.

What is enlightenment? It is an endless process of knowing and understanding that is simply there for all, and its existence is natural and available to all. It is like knowing that at sunrise you will see sunlight as long as you open your eyes; you don’t have to know anything else about the sun other than its presence—but you have to open your eyes to see its presence.  

As If Everything Is A Miracle

This 125-page book is about how to live your life as if everything is a miracle, instead of as if nothing is a miracle. To do just that, you need wisdom to "rethink" your mind, which may not be telling you the whole truth about your thoughts and life experiences; you need wisdom to "renew" your body, which lives in a toxic physical environment; you need spiritual wisdom to "reconnect" your soul, which is the essence of your spirituality. Most importantly, you need wisdom to "realign" your whole being because the body, the mind, and the soul are all interconnected and interdependent on one another for your well-being to live your life as if everything is a miracle. Your mind is the roadmap and your soul is the compass; without them, your body is going nowhere, and you will live your life as if nothing is a miracle.

With enlightenment, you will become a better, happier, and healthier you. With enlightenment, you will live a stress-fee life. Learn how to overcome your stress by letting go of your ego-self. No Ego No Stress!

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Visual Changes Due to Aging

Beware of subtle and gradual changes in your vision. They may be telling you much about your current vision health, which is a concern of those afflicted with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that affects the eye.

• You find that you just can't stand too bright on sunny days but see much better on cloudy days. 

• You find colors not as bright as they were before: everything seems to have a thin film or a sheet of haze over it.

• You find that occasionally things within your vision seem to have a double image; blinking your eyes, they seem to be fine again.

• You find that, for no apparent reason, all of a sudden your vision seems to have improved significantly; that is, you can see without your reading glasses. Miraculously, you seem to have acquired "second vision" late in your life. 

• You find that, conversely, your vision has deteriorated dramatically; you need another new pair of glasses even though you just got your current one not too long ago. 

• You find that, all of a sudden, all the things that you see seem to be coated with a yellowish tint.

• You find that you just can't stand too bright on sunny days but see much better on cloudy days. 
• You find colors not as bright as they were before: everything seems to have a thin film or a sheet of haze over it. 

• You find that occasionally things within your vision seem to have a double image; blinking your eyes, they seem to be fine again.

• You find that, for no apparent reason, all of a sudden your vision seems to have improved significantly; that is, you can see without your reading glasses. Miraculously, you seem to have acquired "second vision" late in your life.

• You find that, conversely, your vision has deteriorated dramatically; you need another new pair of glasses even though you just got your current one not too long ago.

• You find that, all of a sudden, all the things that you see seem to be coated with a yellowish tint.

If you experience some or all of the above changes in vision, beware! You may have developed cataract in one or both of your eyes. Go to an ophthalmologists to look into your eyes to see if you have developed, or in the process of developing, a cataract in one or both of your eyes.

A cataract is an eye disorder in which the eye has lost its transparency in the normally clear lenses of the eyes. If a cataract develops in your non-dominant eye, you may not even notice it, although it may have been progressing steadily for some time. No matter what, the development of a cataract is often  subtle and gradual -- just like in aging, you don't lose your muscular strength overnight.

One of the main causes of cataract development is aging. As you continue to age, your body's overall function becomes compromised, including your vision. The main contributor to aging is oxidation. Your body needs oxygen to maintain life. Unfortunately, what gives life also takes away life in the form of carbon dioxide; this is how the Creator can ensure human mortality. In the process of oxidation, destructive free radicals are formed -- just like the rust in iron due to constant exposure to air, or the pages of an old book turning yellow.

Empower your mind with knowledge to understand the many problems related to aging, and get the wisdom to live to 100 and beyond if you just don't die. 

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Practical Applications of Meditation

There are many reasons why people meditate: some may meditate for body-mind relaxation, while others may meditate for spiritual connection. No matter what, meditation is  all about awareness—mindfulness of what is happening around you, such as your breathing, your bodily sensations, and, most importantly, your thoughts. Without this acute awareness or mindfulness, there is no relaxation of the mind and the body, not to mention the spiritual connection to a Higher Being. Meditation is all about re-focusing the mind on what is important and discarding what is irrelevant or insignificant. In other words, meditation helps you not only prioritize but also change perspectives regarding events in your life. 

Meditation has its practical application in everyday life; meditation holds the key to the art of living well.

How does meditation apply to your everyday life? How can you bring all attributes and benefits of meditation to your day-to-day world?

Meditation is finding the quiet or stillness between sounds and thoughts and experiences. It is this underlying quietness—so quiet that you can almost hear it—that forms a link between you and your sensations and thoughts. The goals of meditation are: awareness of your adaptation to cope with the mundane world, such as dealing with attitudes and behaviors, as well as pain and stress; knowing yourself better, such as the reasons for your anger; self enlightenment or divine illumination, such as the purpose of your existence. Meditation is essentially a mental training of acute awareness or mindfulness of breathing, physical sensations, and mental thoughts, and the perception of timelessness—focusing on only the present moment or what is “real” at the present moment.

Now, how do you apply meditation to your day-to-day world?

By training your awareness only to remain present in whatever activity you are undertaking in real life, you will find yourself right in the center of that activity you are engaging in. In this way, you will be doing your very best, and meanwhile getting the greatest satisfaction from doing so.

To illustrate, say, you are doing a mundane everyday chore, such as washing the dishes or taking out the trash—something you may not like to do, but you are doing it anyway because you have to. If you have had training in meditation, you will know how to keep uninvited thoughts to a minimum while you are doing the dishes or taking out the trash, and thus enabling you to be in the center of what you are experiencing as well as to do it without distraction. A mind trained in meditation leads to a state of stillness that can be maintained no matter what you are doing, or what is happening around you. That is the power of meditation.

The principles of meditation can be applied to the non-meditating part of your everyday life, such as walking.

As you begin walking, let go of the outside world.

Focus on your breathing: listen to the relaxed sound of your breathing in and breathing out.

Make your walk slow and purposeful.

As you are walking, observe each step that you are making. Notice all the physical sensation of your feet, as well as the way your arms are swinging back and forth, brushing against your body.

If unwanted thoughts come, re-focus your awareness on your breathing and physical sensations.

Likewise, you can turn any everyday activity into meditative nature in order to enhance your awareness and clarity of mind, which can be life-transforming in the following ways:

Your senses come to life.

You see how things change from moment to moment, so you have a better understanding of what is important and what is “real” in your life.

You find it easier to let go of things you found difficult to let go in the past.

These are the sublime benefits of meditation. You can turn meditation, which is a mindful, in-the-moment mental exercise, into everyday activity, and it can be applied to all aspects of your life. Let meditation transform your life for the better.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Your Mind and Your Healthy Aging

Getting old is a new experience: it is quite different from what you imagined when you were young. You don’t know what getting old is really like until you have become old. To explain getting old to someone who is still young is like a bird explaining to a fish the sensation of flight.

Physically, you may have backache, short breath, and a host of other health problems. Emotionally and mentally, you may be preoccupied with the challenging thought that everything will not continue the way it is indefinitely: your health may deteriorate, and with its deterioration, everything in your life may fall apart. It is this challenging thought of unwelcome changes arriving suddenly and without warning that unnerves you. Another challenging thought of getting old is retirement, which may not be for everybody. There is a saying: “The more of a somebody you once were, the more difficult it is to revert to being a nobody.” Retirement may be rude awakening for many.

In life, you have opened as many doors as you have closed. You may have the challenging thought that this may be the one final door you will open, and then it will be closed on you for good.

Whatever problems you may encounter, you have to look at them in perspective. Remember, life is full of problems—at any age. Having the right mindset is critically important. It is all in the mind, and is always mind over matter. Use the mind to control your body to bring about self-healing, to deal with your emotions resulting from daily stress and challenge, and to enlighten your soul to find peace of mind.

Stephen Lau

Copyright © by Stephen Lau

Improve Your Memory

Prevent Memory Loss

Memory loss is rather common as you age. However, it does not necessarily mean you're going to have Alzheimer's disease. But combat memory loss like a disease. It is a misconception that you should write down what you need to do in order not to forget - well, that's a very passive way of dealing with the problem of memory loss. It's very much like "cutting you toes to avoid the worms." Remember, if you don't use your brain power, you will lose it. It's that simple. Don't try to remember things the hard way.

Improve Memory

At any age, you can still make some significant changes in your lifestyle; you don't have to turn your life upside down, or make extremely drastic changes to achieve the many benefits of sharpening your mind. Start with something small to keep your brain active everyday. Stay curious - commit to lifelong learning. Stay healthier and younger as you age.

When you think of longevity health, think Alzheimer's disease. When you think of Alzheimer's disease, think sharpening your mind. When you think brain health, think from the neck up.

To live long, make some brain-healthy lifestyle changes, and take action by getting involved in these activities to keep your memory sharp and your brain healthy.

Truly, mental decline as you age may be due to altered connections among brain cells. The good news is: research has shown that keeping your brain active not only increases its vitality but also builds its reserves of brain cells and connections.

Research has also indicated that low levels of education are linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life. This may be due to a lower level of lifelong mental stimulation. That is to say, the more educated you are, the less chance you will get Alzheimer's disease - or at least the development of symptoms may appear much later in life.

Research has further shown that those who are bi-lingual and who constantly use two languages on a daily basis tend to develop greater immunity from the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

In short, your brain activities are responsible for your brain health, which is an important component of longevity health. To live long, you need to sharpen your mind, and don't let it idle.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau

Happiness and Yoga

Happiness and Yoga

Happiness is a state of mind; that is, it is all in your mind. According to Descartes, the great philosopher, you are your thoughts, and your thoughts become you. In other words, you are the creator of your thoughts, which then become the substances with which you weave the fabrics of your own life, be it a happy or an unhappy one. In addition, "too much" thinking may also make you unhappy, especially if your thoughts focus on unhappy things.

According to CNN on how yoga may help you realize your resolutions in life:

simply resolving to do something isn't enough. You need the means to start on the right path and stay the course. Too many of us set large-scale intentions but fall short on a follow-through strategy. That's where yoga comes in: the ancient practice can provide the resources and support for a multitude of modern-day lifestyle changes. . . . .

If you want to be happier, your wandering mind is likely your biggest obstacle. According to a 2010 Harvard study, 47% of their time thinking about things that aren't happening. Understandably, spending half your life lost in thought is considered a major cause of unhappiness.

Yoga is a practice based on mindfulness that emphasizes using your breath to consistently connect to the present moment. It also teaches you how to breathe deeper and use meditative techniques to tap into your parasympathetic nervous system to reduce stress and increase happy hormones. . . . .”

You must be mindful of your breaths, which is a way to re-focus your mind on the present moment. If you have a compulsive mind -- that is, constantly thinking of the past and the future --you are not living in the present; not living in the now means your mind is obsessed with past memories and worries of future happenings. Remember, the past was gone, the future is unknown, and only the present is real. Therefore, the key to happiness is slowing down your compulsive mind. Yes, yoga is an exercise that may do just that.

Read my book Be A Better And Happier You With Tao Wisdom. It shows you how to live your life as if everything is a miracle. The book is based on the ancient wisdom of TAO from ancient China. True human wisdom requires you to be mindful of what is going on in your mind, and be mindful of others through love and compassion; mindfulness holds the key to understanding who you really are and what you really need in your life in order to be a happier individual.

Stephen Lau

Copyright©2018 by Stephen Lau

Mind Power and Sleep Deprivation

Mind Power and Sleep Deprivation

Are you a truck driver or shift worker planning to catch up on some sleep this weekend?

Cramming in extra hours of shut-eye may not make up for those lost pulling all-nighters, new research indicates.

The damage may already be done -- brain damage, that is, said neuroscientist Sigrid Veasey from the University of Pennsylvania.

It is a myth that you can pay back a sizeable "sleep debt" with long naps later on, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Long-term sleep deprivation saps the brain of power even after days of recovery sleep, Veasey said. And that could be a sign of lasting brain injury.

Veasey and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania medical school wanted to find out, so, they put laboratory mice on a wonky sleep schedule that mirrors that of shift workers.

They let them snooze, then woke them up for short periods and for long ones.

Then the scientists looked at their brains -- more specifically, at a bundle of nerve cells they say is associated with alertness and cognitive function, the locus coeruleus.

They found damage and lots of it. "The mice lose 25% of these neurons," Veasey said.

This is how the scientists think it happened.

When the mice lost a little sleep, nerve cells reacted by making more of a protein, called sirtuin type 3, to energize and protect them.

But when losing sleep became a habit, that reaction shut down. After just a few days of "shift work" sleep, the cells start dying off at an accelerated pace.

Veasey said: "No one really thought that the brain could be irreversibly injured from sleep loss."

Of course, more work needs to be done on humans.

Are you getting enough sleep? Are you working odd hours? How dangerous is sleep deprivation to your brain power?

Stephen Lau

Copyright©2018 by Stephen Lau