Wisdom from Lao Tzu

This week, I am happy to share some wisdom-rich quotes from Lao Tzu—a Taoist Chinese philosopher from the sixth century B.C. who is said to have authored the Tao Te Ching. Many famous sayings trace back to Lao Tzu, including “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

Taoist teachings focus on how to find ease by living in harmony with nature and the natural order. The Tao, which has been translated to mean “the way” or “the path,” is also said to be “nameless,” because language is unable to describe something that needs to be experienced directly.

I first discovered Lao Tzu in a Chinese philosophy class in college while I was going through a challenging time. His words, which focused on letting go, attuning to nature’s rhythm, and finding acceptance and harmony, soothed and calmed me. Lao Tzu wrote, “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 like.” His message of “go with the flow” is wisdom I aspire to embody.

Myra

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