David James Lees, Wirksworth (2026)

01/05/2026

**NOW AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON IN KINDLE & PAPERBACK!**

Looking for more calm, clarity, and direction in your life?

David’s new two books bring the timeless wisdom of the Tao Te Ching into a form you can actually use.

📘 ‘Tao Te Ching – a simple, flowing, and easy to read modern translation

📕 ‘Hidden Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching’ - understand each verse

and apply it to real life (with lots of powerful meditation exercises!)

No complexity. No confusion. Just clear, grounded wisdom.

👇 Links in the comments

30/04/2026

☯️ FREE articles out NOW in David's Substack Journal

✨Clearing the Lens✨
Your world might ‘feel’ dim not because the sun has set, but because old filters of fear have clouded the way you see. By leaning into wu wei, you can stop the exhausting struggle to "be more" and finally witness the clear, beautiful truth that has been right in front of you the whole time.

✨Lanterns Not Stones✨
Staying quiet might seem like the only way to stay safe, but hiding your truth is like carrying a heavy stone that weighs you down. By leaning into wu wei, you can turn that weight into a gentle lantern, showing you that being honest doesn't have to be a battle; it can simply be a way to let the light back in.

✨Beyond the Bend✨
An unexpected turn in your path can look like a dead end if your heart is searching for a final answer. By leaning into wu wei, you can stop calling a quiet pause a failure and find the steady courage to see the beautiful new horizon waiting just beyond the bend.

✨PLUS… Moments of Inspiration✨

You can subscribe to David's Journal now for free (or join the paid subscriber’s 'Inner Circle' for weekly bonus resources)
HERE: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

27/04/2026

Have you listened to my Tao Te Ching Verse 1 yet?

The opening verse of the Tao Te Ching sets the tone for everything that follows…
Quiet. Paradoxical. Deeply powerful.

🎧 You can listen for free now on:
• YouTube
• Podcast
• Soundcloud
[links in comments]

We’d genuinely love to hear what you feel or notice when you listen —
tell us your thoughts below 👇

24/04/2026

🎉 IT’S HERE 🎉My Tao Te Ching collection is now live - books + immersive audio ✨

👉 See comments for videos, samples & shop links

The Tao Te Ching is one of the most powerful spiritual texts ever written…
but it can feel abstract or hard to apply.

So I've made it simple, practical, and deeply immersive:

📘 Tao Te Ching: The Taoist Classic Translated for Modern Times
A clear, flowing modern translation — designed for reflection and insight

📗 Hidden Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching: Ancient Teachings for Modern Life Mastery, Happiness & Flow
A complete verse-by-verse guide — with real-life meaning + meditation practices to help you apply the teachings

🎧 Echoes of the Tao: Tao Te Ching in Music (81 tracks)
A unique audio journey — spoken verses with immersive ambient soundscapes

Read it.
Understand it.
Experience it.

👇 Links in comments

21/04/2026

☯️ FREE articles out NOW in David's Substack Journal

✨Before Belief Speaks✨
Deep within, you carry a hidden architecture of survival, built from patterns you absorbed long before you had words to name them. By practising the Taoist art of returning to these roots, you can learn to yield the old sketches and finally reclaim your place as the conscious creator of your own meaning.

✨Urgency Is Not Truth✨
When a sudden rush of emotion insists you must act now to stay safe, it is often just an old fear trying to take the lead. By leaning into the Taoist and Wu Wei Wisdom of a patient pause, you can learn to see past the frantic push for control and return to the quiet, steady truth that never needs to rush.

✨When Reins Align✨
If you are tired of the inner tug-of-war between your old fears and your desire for peace, there is a softer way to lead yourself forward. By aligning the "reins" of your Inner Child and your wise Shen, you can trade the exhausting struggle of rescue for the graceful, effortless flow of wu wei.

✨PLUS… Moments of Inspiration✨

You can subscribe to David's Journal now for free (or join the paid subscriber’s 'Inner Circle' for weekly bonus resources)
HERE: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

18/04/2026

✨️ NEW EPISODE: Guided Meditation for Finding Inner Calm & Managing Emotional Triggers ✨️

💌 Instead of fighting or suppressing your reactions, this guided meditation practice shows you how to gently observe what’s happening within — recognising the role of the Inner Child and the deeper emotional patterns behind each trigger.

Through awareness, visualisation, and affirmations, you’ll learn how to pause, soften, and respond with clarity rather than react unconsciously.

This is not about controlling your emotions — it’s about understanding them.

Calm is not the absence of reaction. It is the presence of awareness.

** LINK TO MEDITATION IN COMMENTS **

17/04/2026

Out NOW in David's Journal for 'Inner Circle' subscribers ☯️

✨Borrowed Safety✨
Do you keep returning to the same painful thoughts, not because they're true, but because they feel like home? Your younger self built walls from borrowed fears, mistaking them for protection. What if wu wei gently asks you to walk through those walls, not by destroying them, but by recognising they were never really there?

✨Belonging Without Bargain✨
You may have learned to hide your true thoughts to keep the peace, believing that love depends on your agreement. Your younger self mistakes loyalty for safety, turning family bonds into a silent bargain where you trade your spirit just to belong. Yet wu wei offers a gentler middle way: you can love them deeply without abandoning yourself, realising your worth was never theirs to give.

✨The Future Loop✨
Your mind races ahead, building entire worlds from a single worry, then reacting as though they've already happened. You've confused your projections with prophecy, forgetting that tomorrow hasn't written itself yet. Wu wei whispers a different path: stop stirring the water, and watch as the present moment reveals what's actually here.

✨PLUS… Moments of Inspiration✨

🌐 You can subscribe to David's Journal now for free (or join the paid subscribers 'Inner Circle' for weekly bonus resources)
HERE: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

13/04/2026

☯️ FREE articles out NOW in David's Substack Journal

✨Clear Without Coldness✨
Do you ‘feel’ the quiet ache when life turns sharp and unfair, kindness collides with cruelty, and your practice of wu wei suddenly seems too gentle to hold its ground. The Tao softly invites you to stop forcing peace and simply see what is, yet something deeper calls you forward. Here, a warm, steady clarity waits, one that keeps your spirit open without ever growing cold.

✨The Inner Sky✨
Have you noticed that restless tug inside when silence stretches too long, or life doesn’t hand you the reassurance you crave? Your Inner Child rushes to fill the quiet with worries and “shoulds,” making the space feel empty instead of free. Taoist wisdom gently shows you how to keep a clear inner sky, where wu wei lets truth and calm flow through without forcing anything.

✨No Special Case✨
Perhaps you ‘feel’ like everyone else was born with a natural right to belong, while you are the "special case" who must earn your worth through perfect behaviour. This internal courtroom makes every criticism feel like a threat, but the gentle path of wu wei reveals a more peaceful way to live. Discover how to stop performing for your value and finally rest in the quiet, equal light of Shen.

✨PLUS… Moments of Inspiration✨

You can subscribe to David's Journal now for free (or join the paid subscriber’s 'Inner Circle' for weekly bonus resources)
HERE: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

11/04/2026

**NEW EPISODE: Why You Get Triggered So Easily (It’s Not Overreaction — It’s Your Inner Child)**

This is part 2 of a powerful 4-part Inner Child series for 2026.
In this episode, you’ll discover what’s really happening in the moment you feel overwhelmed, reactive, or out of control… and why it’s not a flaw or weakness.

We explore the psychology of emotional triggers through the lens of Inner Child work, nervous system activation, and Taoist wisdom.

You’ll learn how your mind stores past experiences as emotional memory, why your Inner Child reacts before logic kicks in, and how common situations like feeling ignored, criticised, or misunderstood can activate old patterns.

Most importantly, you’ll understand why trying to “calm down”, suppress your feelings, or think logically often makes triggers worse — and what to do instead.

This is not about fixing yourself. It’s about seeing clearly. This awareness is the first step to healing your Inner Child and creating emotional balance and ease in your daily life.

** LINK TO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE IN COMMENTS **

10/04/2026

Out NOW in David's Journal for 'Inner Circle' subscribers ☯️

✨Unpaid Debts✨
You give with an open heart, yet underneath your kindness hides an invisible invoice, a quiet hope that life will settle the debt. Wu wei teaches that honest love never needs to prove itself, and that the freedom you seek begins when you stop collecting what no one ever owed you.

✨Where Effort Softens✨
Do you grip every detail, chase every answer, yet still end the day drained, as if peace hides just out of reach? Wu wei reminds you: a river never forces its course; it softens where the way opens, and so can you.

✨Promised Ever After✨
You’ve worked so hard, believing the right ending will finally let you rest, but peace keeps dancing one step ahead. Wu wei whispers: the Tao doesn’t keep score. Stop turning your path into a promise only life can break.

✨PLUS… Moments of Inspiration✨

🌐 You can subscribe to David's Journal now for free (or join the paid subscribers 'Inner Circle' for weekly bonus resources)
HERE: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

07/04/2026

☯️ FREE articles out NOW in David's Journal

✨Relief Before Truth✨
We often reach for a quick distraction just to soften the sting of a heavy moment, but have you ever wondered if that comfort is actually a wall keeping you stuck? Discover how to stop "dealing with it later" and find the quiet, Taoist flow that only begins when you trade temporary relief for the courage of honest clarity.

✨Borrowed Burdens✨
You’ve carried the weight of other people’s storms in your small hands, believing that fixing their moods, soothing their hurts, and keeping the peace was the only way to stay safe and loved. It felt like loyalty, like goodness, yet something inside you has always known it was never truly yours to hold. In the quiet wisdom of the Tao and the effortless grace of wu wei, you’ll discover how gently setting it down opens space for your own light, your own truth, and a freedom that feels like coming home.

✨Rooted Enough✨
It’s time to step off the carousel of self-doubt and let the effortless flow of wu wei guide you, discovering that your worth is not a distant goal, but a quiet root already steady within your heart and spirit.

✨PLUS… Moments of Inspiration✨

🌐 You can subscribe to David's Journal now for free (or join the paid subscribers 'Inner Circle' for weekly bonus resources)
HERE: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

04/04/2026

TAO DIALOGUES #20 - Why We Repeat the Same Mistakes (Even When We Know Better)

In our new Tao Dialogues episode, we explore the deeper Taoist wisdom behind repeated patterns, emotional conditioning, and the Inner Child’s influence on our decisions.

Discover how emotional logic, unconscious beliefs, and the need to be right keep us stuck in cycles of frustration, self-sabotage, and repeated outcomes. Learn the difference between the reactive Inner Child and the calm, clear guidance of Shen (your inner knowing), and how this shift allows you to grow without suffering.

This teaching reveals why wisdom is not proven through pain, but recognised through truth, and how aligning with wu wei (effortless effort) helps you break free from old patterns with clarity, calm, and authenticity.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in repeating relationship patterns, work struggles, or self-sabotaging behaviours, this teaching will show you a new way forward. One rooted in awareness, not emotional chaos.

**LINK TO EPISODE + the original blog post are in the comments below**

You can also subscribe to David’s Substack Journal here:
https://davidjameslees.substack.com/

David James Lees

01/05/2026

30/04/2026

27/04/2026

24/04/2026

21/04/2026

18/04/2026

17/04/2026

13/04/2026

11/04/2026

10/04/2026

07/04/2026

04/04/2026

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