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Living Tao with Ilchi Lee

The Power of Action: Don’t Wait, Do It Now

Last updated on: March 29, 2016 at 8:01 pm   by Ilchi Lee

The Power of Action: Don’t Wait, Do It Now 2016-03-29T20:01:18+00:00 Ilchi Lee

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[Image credit: iStock]

[Image credit: iStock]

Have you ever had a really good idea? Did you make that idea happen? Most people have had great ideas, but only a few people turn their inspirations into reality. Many people also have life dreams and goals that remain tucked away in the backs of their minds. There is so much that people say they want to be or do: “I want to travel more.” “I wish I could draw better.” “I really would make a good therapist.” But they also have other thoughts that cancel them out: “I’ll do it later.” “I have no time for that.” “I’m too old to start.”

This is so common that it seems normal to people, but to me it is tragic. To me, it is like a better life and a better self are calling out to that person, but they are not willing to answer. Not acting on your inspiration is a kind of death. Life, by its nature, includes movement and growth, and our inspirations come to help us move and grow.

 

The Importance of Immediate Action

If you see this habit of inaction in yourself, please change it right away. The next time inspiration strikes, act on that inspiration immediately. It’s like catching a wave in surfing. You can let it pass and paddle your way to shore, but it will be much harder. Why do this to yourself? Instead, act now.

Spiritual people are especially prone to inaction because they often prefer the ethereal world of ideas to the rough and tumble three-dimensional world. Sometimes, they even wrongly think that the spiritual world is superior and that the physical world should be ignored or avoided. They believe they can only grow by hiding away like a monk or a hermit. This is not true. The physical world is in fact there for the growth of your soul. Ignoring inspiration is like ignoring the soul’s call to a higher level. Also, we can never have a spiritual world if spiritual people don’t act. If we want a better world, spiritual principles must bring divinity into everyday life, which can only happen if people make that happen.

 

The Physical Is the Seat of the Spiritual

This is why I stress the development of the lower Dahnjon first in my Brain Education method. Located in your lower abdomen, and also known as the second chakra or dantian, the Dahnjon is the center of physical energy, the powerhouse of the body. The human being is like a triangle of body, mind, and spirit. The body forms the base of that triangle, and the mind and spirit form the sides. If one only develops the sides of the triangle — intellect and spirituality — the triangle becomes very unstable and can be easily knocked over. So, to grow well, people must have the physical power they need to act on their visions and to stay centered within their highest selves.

You do not need to be a world-class athlete or a wealthy businessperson to have the physical energy you need. I can assure you that the universe will provide exactly what you need to make your vision happen, and the physical energy available to you will grow as you act. When I began to move toward my vision, I had nothing available to me. I started with just one student in a park, a man who had had a stroke. Seeing his progress, more people gathered, and then later people came to help me open up the first center. Today, there are about 500 centers in 10 countries around the world.

One thing I always did was act, act, and act again. I never sat around wondering if it was the best time to start, and I never rested on the laurels of my previous accomplishments. For many people, however, procrastination is an ingrained habit. They are used to ignoring their own inspiration, and they constantly put off taking steps toward their dreams, hoping that some other day will bring an easier situation or that all other distractions will disappear. Don’t wait for a more perfect time. Now is the only perfect time, and if it looks difficult, that’s because you are meant to face the challenges that will bring out your true greatness.

 

Don’t Let Dreams Stagnate

Old, unresolved intentions are essentially a form of stagnant energy, like a clog in a pipe or pile of old papers gathering dust in a corner. Make it a new habit to act immediately. Follow the old adage: “Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today.” The energy flowing toward any idea will always be strongest when it is new, so don’t wait. Even if there is only one small thing you are able to do today, make sure you do it.

You may not have realized it yet, but you are a visionary, too. People speak of visionaries as though they are a rare phenomenon, but this does not have to be true. Every human being was given the gift of a brain that is capable of great feats of imagination. You have felt this part of your greatness every time you have some thought of who or what you’d like to be in this world. You are a visionary every time you imagine what a great place this world could be, if only it were a little different. Every time you take a step toward a higher version of yourself, you take the whole world one step closer toward that better place.

 

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