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Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. With teapotmonk
Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. With teapotmonk episodes
- 37. Nothing to do, nowhere to go
“The Tao does nothing, yet everything gets done.”
While the world hurries to build pyramids out of inboxes and to-do lists, the Tao lounges quietly in the corner, watching it all unfold.
In Tai Chi, it’s the shoulder that softens, the breath that returns, the moment when effort falls away and movement becomes moonlight on patio stone.
This chapter isn’t advice, it’s permission. Permission to stop.
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
https://taichi-store.com/pages/paperbacks
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 36. The art of yielding
“The more you yield, the further you fly.”
Believe what appears on your time line and you’ll be forgiven for thinking that pushing, striving, and coming out on top, is what it’s all about.
But the Tao slips quietly into the gaps—waiting, watching, yielding.
In Tai Chi, we draw the bow not to show strength, but to feel when the string’s ready to let go. Soft doesn’t mean weak. Stepping back isn’t surrender—it’s strategy in slow motion.
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
https://taichi-store.com/pages/paperbacks
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 35. The quiet centre
“Find the centre of your teacup… and you’ll find your own centre too.”
While the world flaps about with flashing lights and loud speakers, the Tao waits in the quiet streets where nobody’s looking.
In Tai Chi, it’s not always the big, sweeping moves that hold the magic.
It’s the breath before the turn.
The weight shift before the hand rises.
This is where the real strength lives. Unseen. Whispered.
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
https://taichi-store.com/pages/paperbacks
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 34. Where is the tao?
“The Tao doesn’t ask for applause.”
It’s the cracked teacup, the forgotten breeze, the quiet tick of something old still doing its job. No need to find answers in temples or textbooks. It’s in the way you stand. The way you stir your tea. The way you let things go.
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
https://taichi-store.com/pages/paperbacks
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 33. Knowing me, knowing you
“Deep wisdom is like the roots under your patio.”
Tai Chi is unlikely to ever go viral. We don’t edit our movements to look good—at least I hope not.
It’s not trying to be impressive - just honest.
Maybe that has value in a world that has lost its way.
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
https://taichi-store.com
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 32. The Nameless Flow
“You can’t hold water in a clenched fist.”
The Tao doesn’t brand itself, or hand out pamphlets. It just… turns up. Like an unexpected purr at my back door. It’s only when I stop trying so hard that, funnily enough, things start to work. The more I grab, the more it all slips through my fingers.
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
https://taichi-store.com
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 31. The weight of weapons
“Let your strength come from not needing to use it.”
As a schoolboy in a woodwork class I was given a project to create something unusual. I carved out an ornate pair of nunchaku. This was back in 1976. I thought it was really cool to have and make a weapon. The problem with weapons is that when used, they always leave something behind—and it’s rarely peace. In Tai chi we shuffle awkwardly at the idea of force. Rather than fight—we are taught to feel, listen, yield, turn, and let the storm pass through. This isn’t weakness. It’s the wisdom of sleeves rolled up, ego rolled down, and leaving the sharp objects in the kitchen drawer.
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
https://taichi-store.com
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 30. Walk soft, carry nothing sharp
“Walk like you’re carrying nothing but your own breath.”
Looking around, you’d be forgiven in thinking that force might well win. But only in the moment— never a future.
Whether it’s swords or opinions, the more sharply I carry myself, the more I cut up the world around me. The Tao doesn’t conquer, it just flows on, like rain off a leaf or an old tune drifting down a hallway.
Today learn to Walk like you’re carrying nothing but your own breath
Chapter 30
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
https://taichi-store.com
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 29. Stop trying to catch the wind
“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
https://taichi-store.com
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min - 28. Rough outside, quiet within
“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
https://taichi-store.com
Read more about the world of Tai Chi and the tao at https://www.teapotmonk.com
4 min
About Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. With teapotmonk
From the publisher's feed
A gently rebellious 21st century take on the Tao Te Ching—one short chapter at a time. No robes, no incense, just scruffy wisdom, Tai Chi tips, and tea-stained reflections for modern life. Think calm,…
not clichés. Perfect for over-thinkers, under-doers, and anyone ready to slow down without nodding off. Based on reflections from book.