In many ways, stress and burnout are very modern problems. Our always-on lives are fueled by our always-on technology that keeps us feeling perpetually harried, always behind and just trying to get through the day, the next hour or the next five minutes. It’s why Belgian philosopher Pascal Chabot called burnout “civilization’s disease.”
But as modern as the sources of this disease may be, the solutions are just the opposite. Throughout history, philosophers and thinkers have asked: what does it mean to live a good life? What do we need to be happy, fulfilled and truly thrive? Along the way, we stopped asking ourselves these questions, but the answers are still there.
At Thrive Global, part of our mission is to shine a light on this ancient wisdom, make it accessible to people’s daily lives and show how it’s been validated by modern science.
That’s why I’m delighted to introduce our new video series How to Thrive: Lessons From Ancient Chinese Wisdom. In each of our eight episodes — all just a few minutes long — you’ll learn about a guiding concept from China’s 5,000 year-old culture and how it can be applied to your daily life. Topics include the Taoist concept of Yin Yang, Harmony, Kindness, Wu-Wei (grace-filled action) and the true lessons of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
How to Thrive: Lessons From Ancient Chinese Wisdom is hosted by ShaoLan, founder of Chineasy. I would love to hear from you on how you can apply these lessons in your own life. Lessons from Ancient Indian Wisdom next!