Acknowledgments

I started writing Effortless Living back in 2013 in a small apartment in Seoul, South Korea. Since then this book has been on a journey around the world for over three years, from Seoul to Chiang Mai in Thailand to Tiruvannamalai in India on to Pokhara in Nepal and then back to Chiang Mai. It has changed shape many times, including numerous title changes, a stack of edits and reedits, and many additions and subtractions all along the way. There are many people to thank for persisting with me in the unfoldment of this book.

First and foremost, I am forever grateful to my wife, Gayoung. You showed extreme patience and tender care during this extended writing process. When I would let this book rest for months on end you would motivate me to persevere with it and inspire me to continue to overcome the obstacles this book presented. You always said the right thing at the right time to curb my anxiety, leading to insightful guidance. I am beyond fortunate to live a life with someone who embraces the rollercoaster of uncertainty. Our trust in this crazy ride called our life is the trust we have in the love we share with each other. Let’s see where this rollercoaster will flip us next.

Secondly, a big hug and humble gratitude to all of the wonderful people at Inner Traditions and Bear & Company. Words cannot describe what you’ve all done for my work going forward. I am especially thankful to my acquisition editor, Jon Graham. Jon, you steered me through the whole process. You pushed me all the way. You knew this book could be so much more. Back in 2013 when I thought the book was finished, you intuitively knew that I could do better. And this process happened many times because I was too anxious to finish the book without understanding its true potential, which included a massive revision. Without your book industry knowledge and all-around wisdom this book would have remained on my bookshelf. Thank you for giving it wings to fly.

Next I owe a debt of gratitude to my two editors for this book. First of all, a big thank you to my copyeditor, Richard Smoley, for meticulously going over each line to make the text sparkle with clarity. Secondly, heartfelt gratitude to my project editor, Meghan MacLean. You’ve been my project editor for my three previous books, and I’m always astounded by your skill and wisdom. But this time you really outdid yourself. For you to be able to focus and do your work with minimal fuss just before and after the birth of your child is a testament to the amazing individual you are.

Effortless Living was extremely fortunate to have a foreword written by Taoist teacher of traditional martial arts Damo Mitchell. It’s no surprise that our paths have crossed considering our mutual love for the internal arts and the Eastern mind they came from. Some of my fondest memories are when you and your wife, Roni, visited Chiang Mai. I enjoyed gallivanting around northern Thailand with both of you. It’s not common that two authors write a foreword for each other’s books, but I’m proud to have written one for you and to have you provide one for Effortless Living.

Last but definitely not least, a humble bow to three of the great sages of the Warring States period of China: Lao-tzu, Confucius, and Chuang-tzu. All three were the inspiration behind this book. Though their views may differ, and even though I may appear critical of Confucius in this book, we are truly blessed to have open access to all their wisdom. Now more than ever their wisdom is needed. Effortless Living hopes to carry their wisdom into the future.