About two weeks ago a video came up in my YouTube feed that felt like coming home. The video is about the Tao Te Ching and the idea of non-action. The way to live life, the Tao Te Ching says, is to go with the flow, to wait until you receive the message from the silence to take action. Which means that sometimes you have to surrender and let things fall apart so that new doorways open for you and you can build something new. 

Many of the passages are about the power of water, one of the softest things in the universe. And how it is water that carves canyons and breaks rocks which eventually become sand. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it happens.

When I saw the video, I felt as if we’re in a time on this planet when we need to let things fall apart so we can build something new and better. For millennia we’ve been operating in the same way, pushing to accomplish things, conquering, spreading fear to control, making wealth more important than people … you know the litany. I’m not sure it’s a bad thing to let those things go. Clinging to them has only caused chaos of the last centuries.

What if we let our flawed institutions fall apart? And from the ashes built new institutions that supported people’s wellbeing instead of grasping for money, power, and prestige? What if we got rid of what I consider the most evil phrase ever used, “It’s nothing personal. It’s just business.”? What if we looked into the face of another human being and saw their soul instead of a body that’s different than ours?

“Oh, you are so delusional!” That’s what some people will say, but the way I see it, there is no saving what has been. It’s obvious that institutions are falling apart and nothing we do can stop it. Fortunately most people don’t want to stop it. They have surrendered to what’s happening. I celebrate every time a young politician, or historian, or psychic, or regular everyday human being says, “We need to stand up for each other.” I’m heartened when I see stories about people helping their neighbors or animals, or those far away in need. 

When I sit in silence, my little voice tells me not to panic. Everything that is happening is good. Let the old ways fall apart while I do what I can for my family, friends, and neighbors when they need me. It’s better, in my opinion to enjoy building human connections than to worry about what’s coming next.

How do you cope with what’s going on right now? Maybe a walk in nature is just what we all need to lift our spirits.

Blessings my friends. I hope you are well.

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2025

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Prolific Writers Life

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They also have fun events like Films for Writers, which is free for anyone who wants to attend. It’s like a film club. We watch the movies about writers often with tidbits about their writing life, and then come together on the last Friday evening of every month to discuss the movie. You can check out Prolific Writers Life with a free 14 day trial to see if this the community you have been looking for.

Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. We think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.

Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, who we want to be, and the kind of world we want to live in.

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