A while back, a man sat under a tree. This man had tried for years to reach his goal, which was, by all accounts, a genuinely benevolent pursuit.

The man kept trying. He made adjustments, tried new approaches, listened to great leaders and even pushed himself to the brink of death in his effort to reach the goal.

Finally, he ended up under that tree and made a decision. No more trying. No more lessons. No more attempts. Just let things unfold and see what happens, all the time observing and being fully present in the moment, willing to accept any outcome. He reached his goal and started a movement that today has nearly 400,000,000 adherents.

The story of Shakyamuni Buddha is amazingly simple: be here, right now, if you want to reach your destination. Or, as a book I’m reading states, balance the two efforts.

Good stuff, huh?