11th October 2024
There’s a Zen Buddhist story that changed my life:
A novice asked the Zen master,
“What do you do before enlightenment?”
“Chop wood, carry water,” answered the master.
“What do you do after enlightenment?” Asked the novice.
“Chop wood, carry water,”replied the master again.
The internal state may change, but the external action never does.
Every single day, you need to chop wood, carry water, despite your state of enlightenment or stage of life.
There is also a wonderful book titled,
‘Chop Wood Carry Water’ by Joshua Medcalf which also teaches that success and fulfillment come from embracing the journey and focusing on the process.
By concentrating on small, daily tasks like chopping wood and carrying water, you build a sound foundation for achieving your goals.
As we level up and grow, there’s a tendency to lose sight of those boring basics that got us there in the first place.
We feel the pull towards complexity (which is a trap!) and start looking for the new actions for the new you.
But as the saying reminds us, you will change, you may have achieved much, but the basic actions needn’t change with you.
Sachin Tendulkar, at the height of his career, didn’t forget to ‘Chop wood & carry water.’ He followed his regimen of daily practise & mental exercises. Every master does the same.
How can you chop wood and carry water today?
For me, the boring basic actions that I need to do everyday whatever my state of mind which help me to serve & to deliver value are:
To start with,
My daily ritual of morning walk, Yoga, meditation & chanting,
Followed by reading, writing & posting my daily motivational blog.
Next comes my office routine of meeting at least one client & one prospect daily,
Some time spent on upskilling & learning something new,
Spending some quality time with my parents, family & friends,
Saying at least one kind word & a word of appreciation to a majority of the people I meet & finally feeling grateful for the umpteen blessings I have been showered with before I retire for the night.
That is my routine of ‘Chopping wood & Carrying Water.’
What are the boring, basic actions that you are avoiding right now, followed your own routine of, ‘Chop Wood & Carry Water’ and stay blessed forever.