In his book Effortless Living: Wu-Wei and the Spontaneous State of Natural Harmony, philosopher Jason Gregory offers a Taoist lens on inner growth, suggesting that the very disruptions we resist may be life’s way of cultivating true resilience.

“So what we think disturbs our life is actually fate and our unconscious conspiring against our rigid personality for the purpose of our evolution as individuals,” Gregory writes. “As the softness of water slowly wears away at the hardness of rock, so too does fate wear away at the rigidity of our conditioned identity.”

Gregory’s insight reframes struggle as a tool of transformation, not trauma. Rather than view challenges as setbacks, he encourages readers to see them as necessary forces eroding the artificial self we’ve built through conditioning—pushing us closer to who we really are. The Taoist principle of wu-wei, or effortless action, teaches that true strength lies in surrender, not control.

Resilience, in this view, is not about hardening ourselves against life, but softening into alignment with it. By loosening our grip on ego and identity, we become more adaptable, grounded, and open to the natural evolution of our lives.

Jason Gregory is a teacher and author whose work bridges Eastern philosophy and modern spiritual insight. His writing explores the tension between control and flow, and how inner harmony emerges when we release resistance. Effortless Living is available through his website, alongside his forthcoming title, The Tradition of Natural Taoism, which is available for pre-order.