Change, Loss, and Enlightenment ~ The Wisdom of Lao Tzu

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they flow. If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve. Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides. By letting go, it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. When you try and try, the world is beyond the winning."

“Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? The universe is sacred. You cannot improve it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it."

“The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world. There is nothing more submissive and weak than water, yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it."

“The time of a catastrophic act of God is the time to examine your spiritual commitment. The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into your awareness."

“At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want."

“Great indeed is the sublimity of the Creative, to which everything owes its beginning and which permeates all heaven."

“To see things in the seed is genius."

“Be mindful of that with which you feed your deams. Feed them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Feed them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dreams."

“When you strengthen others you fortify yourself. When you nourish others you will be nourished. The more you help others, the more you benefit yourself, and the more you give to others, the more you get for yourself. The Way of Heaven results in good and never does harm. The Way of the superior person is to act but not to compete. Those who know that enough is enough will have enough."

“Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy."

"You cannot will the happiness and peace of an enlightened mind to overwhelm you; you can only submit to darkness. Darkness within darkness is the gateway to all understanding. When you are totally lost, you will recognize that you are already happy, at peace and enlightened."

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”