Tackle Hard Problems Early | Tao Te Ching Chapter 64 Explained

Peace is easily maintained. Trouble is easily overcome before it starts. The brittle is easily shattered. The small is easily scattered. Deal with it before it happens. Set things in order before there is confusion. A tree as great as a man's embrace springs up from a small shoot. A terrace nine stories high begins with a pile of earth. A journey of a thousand miles starts under one's feet. He who acts, defeats his own purpose. He who grasps, loses. The sage does not act, and so is not defeated. He does not grasp, and therefore does not lose. People usually fail when they are on the verge of success, so give as much care to the end as to the beginning. Then there will be no failure. Therefore, the sage seeks freedom from desire. He does not collect precious things. He learns not to hold on to ideas. He brings men back to what they have lost. He helps the ten thousand things find their own nature, but refrains from action. All the most complex things in life come from simple beginnings. Great trees begin as tiny seeds. Great journeys begin with one step. Human beings start as a single cell. Complex problems also usually come from simple beginnings. Huge arguments often begin as disagreements over trivialities. Big health problems often start as minor issues. Problems are much harder to get a handle on once they've had time to grow and mature. Often, it makes things much easier to just deal with them when they are small. As we go on in the chapter, we talk about seeing our tasks through. Often when we're close to finishing a task, we try desperately to finish it up so that we can move on to other things. In contrast to this, Lao Tzu recommends a steady, even pace, with great care taken every step of the way. Now, I don't have a lot of time today, so that will have to suffice for now, but try and take a look at chapter 65, and on Monday I'll be back to discuss it with you guys. Be sure to join the Discord if you like discussions like this, and I will see you all next time for chapter 65. Peace and blessings.