Need Encouragement Amid a World In Meltdown?

Barnabas and Zhuangzi Might Have Something For Ya.

Lately, I’ve found myself in need of a pick-me-up—not the caffeine-loaded kind, but something deeper, gentler, and maybe a little weird.

The news cycle is a joy-sapping abyss. AI is plotting to steal all the fun jobs. Your favorite bag of chips now costs $7. And everyone, everywhere, looks like they need a hug, a nap, or both.

In the middle of all this modern melancholy, I’ve been turning to an unlikely duo….. Barnabas and Zhuangzi.

Yes. You read that right.

One is a lesser-known New Testament figure often overshadowed by the apostle Paul. The other is a 4th-century BCE Chinese sage who thought life was better spent drifting in rivers and turning into butterflies. Somehow, together, they’ve become my spiritual tag team for surviving these wildly unpredictable times.

Let’s start with Barnabas, whose name literally means “Son of Encouragement.” If he were alive today, he’d be the guy who sees your chaotic LinkedIn post about being laid off and sends you a voice memo that makes you want to run through a wall.

He’s the friend who shows up when the crowd disappears. A man who didn’t need the spotlight, he chose instead to hold it steady on others.

When everyone else was skeptical of Saul-turned-Paul (you know, the former persecutor-turned-preacher), Barnabas vouched for him. When John Mark flaked during an early missionary journey, Barnabas still gave him another chance. In short, Barnabas was the kind of guy who didn’t cancel people—he resurrected them.

He was the original “you got this” in human form.

Now, contrast that with Zhuangzi, the Taoist trickster philosopher who once dreamed he was a butterfly, woke up wondering if he was now a butterfly dreaming he was a man, and then calmly went back to sipping tea under a tree.

Zhuangzi isn’t the voice of “you got this” as much as “you never had to get anything in the first place.” He might tell you, “You are neither succeeding nor failing. You’re just riding the cosmic wave, baby.”

So how does Barnabas, the great encourager, vibe with Zhuangzi, the great cosmic laugher? Surprisingly well.

They both understand that life is not about control. Barnabas offered his encouragement not to fix people, but to lift them. He knew transformation happens in connection, not coercion.

Zhuangzi would agree—only he’d express it with a parable about a giant useless tree that survives precisely because it’s too weird to be cut down. The message: what the world calls useless may be the most sacred of all.

Barnabas says, “I see something in you.”

Zhuangzi says, “There’s nothing to be fixed in the first place.”

And between the two of them, I find my Taoist Encourager archetype.

So how does a modern Taoist—or someone Taoist-adjacent and just trying not to lose it—cultivate this kind of encouragement in a world that often feels like it’s held together by duct tape and delusion?

Here are a few Tao-spiced nuggets I’ve learned along the way:

😎 Encouragement Isn’t a Performance—It’s a Presence

You don’t need to give TED Talk-level pep talks to be an encourager. Sometimes it’s a gentle nod, a “I see you,” or an “I’m here.” Taoist encouragement is less rah-rah, more wu wei—non-forced, flowing, authentic.

Think: less Tony Robbins, more Bob Ross.

😎 Be the Uncarved Block, Not the Fixer

In Taoism, the “uncarved block” represents our natural, unedited self. People don’t always need your advice—they need your realness. Barnabas didn’t say, “Paul, here’s a 10-point strategy.” He said, “Let’s walk together.”

Encouragement from the Taoist lens isn’t about molding others—it’s about inviting them to remember who they already are.

😎 Float with the Current, But Bring a Friend

Zhuangzi wouldn’t push you upstream. He’d float. But even a good float is better with company. In chaotic times, encouragement is choosing to drift beside someone else without judgment.

Sometimes the best pep talk is just showing up with snacks and silence.

😎 Celebrate the Useless Tree Moments

Didn’t get the job? Spaced out in yoga? Fell asleep meditating? Welcome to being human. According to Zhuangzi, even the “useless” has cosmic value. Taoist encouragement is about embracing imperfections without turning them into self-help projects.

Barnabas would say: “You’re not disqualified.”

Zhuangzi would say: “You were never trying out.”

A Final Thought

Encourage Yourself First (Even If It Feels Awkward)

This is the hardest one. Especially if you’re more comfortable hyping others than affirming yourself. But the Tao teaches that all outward actions ripple from the inner state. If you’re depleted, your encouragement will be performative, not powerful.

Try a Taoist pep talk on yourself…..

“You don’t have to figure it all out today. Just breathe. Drift. Do one tiny true thing. The rest can wait.”

In the end, being a Taoist Encourager isn’t about being everyone’s therapist or motivational speaker. It’s about being that quiet, unshakable presence in a world flailing for meaning. You don’t have to solve the chaos. You just have to not become it.

So channel your inner Barnabas. Channel your inner Zhuangzi. Send a random encouragement text to a friend today. Smile at the cashier who looks like they haven’t had a break since the Clinton administration. Offer a wordless nod to the next soul you pass who looks like they’re carrying the weight of 2025 already.

And most importantly:

Encourage yourself.

You’re still here.

You’re still weird.

You’re still wonderfully, divinely useless in all the right ways.

Now that’s Tao.

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