From the Blueline Pt. III: The Tao

"A Way that can be followed is not a constant Way"

The first line of the first chapter of the Lao Tze's writing. This line is brilliant in so many avenues. But it is also brilliant for hockey. In fact many true statements about life are useful for hockey, I feel, because hockey reflects the ever changing nature of life, just on a more compact scale.

While playing hockey you want to concentrate on what you should do and what is important, but you have to respect how quickly the game changes. And you need to change with the game, because you cannot force the game to change around you. There are 12 people out on the ice at one time all effecting the flow of the game, but that flow is much larger than any of those 12 people. That's why to be an effective hockey player you need to tap into that flow as much as possible. This is not as simple as it sounds.

Because the flow is created by those on the ice, including you, you must do what you can to shape the flow in your favor, though in a very taoist manner, not shape it at all. Describing these things never comes out quite right through language, but when you're on the ice you'll understand it much better. In hockey, if you work hard your time will come, but it may never come when you expect, however you need to be ready. When it passes you by, it is over. But when you capitalize, you celebrate.

And therefore just do your thing, stay focused, feel the flow, shape the flow, but you cannot change the flow, only direct it. You can't follow it, only float in it. "A Way that can be followed is not a constant Way."