Verse 25

There was something formless and perfect
before the universe was born.
It is serene. Empty.
Solitary. Unchanging.
Infinite. Eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
For lack of a better name,
I call it the Tao.

It flows through all things,
inside and outside, and returns
to the origin of all things.

Tao is great;
Heaven is great;
Earth is great;
Man is also great.
These are the four great powers.

Man follows Earth.
Earth follows heaven.
Heaven follows the Tao.
Tao follows what is natural.

[For Personal Development]

• Tao flows through all things. Notice, see and trust the greatness in everything.
• We are animated by the eternal Tao. The resource is always accessible when we are fully present with ourselves.
• Leadership is about aligning people and strategy to make your vision a reality.

[For Coaching]

• The first element of all changes is awareness, an internal shift.
• Our clients are naturally creative, resourceful and whole; sometimes just need help to look outside the usual places for insights.
• Integrity is displayed in the small daily decisions that demonstrate whether our words and actions align with our core values and beliefs.

Verse 34

The great Tao flows everywhere.
All things are born from it,
yet it doesn't create them.

It pours itself into its work,
yet it makes no claim.
It nourishes infinite worlds,
yet it doesn't hold on to them.

Since it is merged with all things
and hidden in their hearts,
it can be called humble.

Since all things vanish into it
and it alone endures,
it can be called great.
It isn't aware of its greatness;
thus it is truly great.

[For Personal Development]

• We experience our inner greatness when we are humble. Humility allows us to let go of control and to strengthen ourselves from within under all circumstances.
• The true leader serves followers, not controls the followers.
• Greatness lies in being humble.

[For Coaching]

• Trust the coaching process; the clients will find their own answers.
• Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.
• Coaching from the heart, creates compassion.

Verse 23

To talk little is natural.
Fierce winds do not blow all morning;
a downpour of rain does not last the day.
Who does this? Heaven and earth.
If heaven and earth cannot sustain a forced action,
how much less is man able to do?

If you open yourself to the Tao,
you are at one with the Tao
and you can embody it completely.
If you open yourself to insight,
you are at one with insight
and you can use it completely.
If you open yourself to loss,
you are at one with loss
and you can accept it completely.

Open yourself to the Tao,
then trust your natural responses;
and everything will fall into place.

[For Personal Development]

• Live, embrace and be fully present with every moment of your life, whether it is desired or not.
• Suffering is our psychological resistance to what happens.
• The results you get are always the result of your focus.
• Trust your ability to respond naturally to the circumstances in your life.

[For Coaching]

• Changes coming from "should's" and "have to's cannot be sustained.
• Focus on the weaknesses that you think have the greatest chance of really holding you back while also remembering to focus on the strengths that you can really use to move forward.
• With a strong personal foundation ourselves, we coaches can then accept and celebrate wherever the clients at unconditionally.

Verse 55

He who is in harmony with the Tao is like a newborn child.
Deadly insects will not sting him.
Wild beasts will not attack him.
Birds of prey will not strike him.
Bones are weak, muscles are soft,
yet his grasp is firm.

He has not experienced the union of man and woman,
but is whole.
His manhood is strong.
He screams all day without becoming hoarse.
This is perfect harmony.

To know harmony is to know the changeless;
to know the changeless is to have insight.
Things in harmony with the Tao remain;
things that are forced grow for a while,
but then wither away.
This is not the Tao.
And whatever is against the Tao soon ceases to be.

[For Personal Development]

• Unconditional love matches the vibration of your inner being. You more fully sense your inner being as you stay connected and tap into the frequency that feels good.
• Animals can smell fear. They attack only when they feel threatened. So do human beings.
• Pain is born of attachment wanting to feel a certain way and being averse to other feelings.

[For Coaching]

• Our clients are fully capable of producing designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives.
• We allow the who of our client without judgment, and thus the safe space is formed
• We create our reality all the time through our thoughts and pictures in our mind. Ask and it is given.
• Coach the essence and focus on significant emotions, values and ways of being of the clients, which do not change with symptoms or surface problems.
  

Verse 13

Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.

What does it mean that success is a dangerous as failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
you position is shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always keep your balance.

What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear?
Hope and fear are both phantoms
that arise from thinking of the self.
When we don't see the self as self,
what do we have to fear?

See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.

[For Personal Development]

• Often we learn the most valuable lessons at the most difficult time of our lives. When we hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up.
  
• Hope and fear are the construct of ego.
• Self-love precedes the love of others.
• It’s our internal reflection that determines our world, not the external events.

[For Coaching]

• Trust our clients. They are brilliant, resourceful and whole.
• It’s all about the clients, not about us. Only when we are able to put personal performance aside, we are able to be fully present with the client.
• Build a super reserve in every area. Scarcity-based worrying is a leading cause of fear [28 laws of attraction- Thomas Leonard].
• Stay connected to ourselves so we can truly connect with our clients.

Verse 59

In governing people and serving nature,
nothing surpasses thrift and moderation.

Restraint begins with giving up one's own ideas.
This depends on virtue gathered in the past.
If there is a good store of virtue, then nothing is impossible.
If nothing is impossible, then there are no limits.
If a man knows no limits, he is fit to lead.

This is the way to be deeply rooted and firmly planted in the Tao,
the secret of long life and lasting vision.

[For Personal Development]

• Leaders share a vision going behind the current limitations, to inspire others to follow and to make seemingly impossible possible.
• Be aware and accept our own limits. One cannot fill a full cup.
• Awareness is the precursor to choice.

[For Coaching]

• Building a strong, deep personal foundation empowers clients to reach for the stars.
• Let go of our own agenda to support clients’ growth and discovery.
• Be open to not knowing.
• Ask questions that create new awareness for the clients and open new possibilities for them.

Verse 9

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

[For Personal Development]

• Enough is enough.
• Stop chasing perfection.
• Seeking approval from others is like running on the hamster wheel- endless chasing of non-enoughness. The only person you need the approval from is yourself.

[For Coaching]

• Growth occurs faster when there is space.
• High Self-Esteem is learning to accept ourselves first instead of seeking approval from others.
• Knowing where to draw the line and set clear boundary.
• Taken too far, strengths can become weaknesses. Balance is the key.

Verse 29

Do you want to improve the world?
I don't think it can be done.

The world is sacred.
It can't be improved.
If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.

There is a time for being ahead,
a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion,
a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous,
a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe,
a time for being in danger.

The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to control them.
She lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of the circle.

[For Personal Development]

• The world is our mirror; it holds the reflection of ourselves that we see in other people.
• What we resist persists.
• The world is prefect. Things may not always happen for the best, but we certainly can make the best of what happened.
• Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern. [Stephen Covey]

[For Coaching]

• As coaches we reflect back to the client what is being heard in words and emotions.
• Our clients are whole and do not need to be improved.
• Coaching presence: we show up as who the client needs us to be in order to move forward.

Verse 77

As it acts in the world, the Tao
is like the bending of a bow.
The top is bent downward;
the bottom is bent up.
It adjusts excess and deficiency
so that there is perfect balance.
It takes from what is too much
and give to what isn't enough.

Those who try to control,
who use force to protect their power,
go against the direction of the Tao.
They take from those who don't have enough
and give to those who have far too much.

The Master can keep giving
because there is no end to her wealth.
She acts without expectation,
succeeds without taking credit,
and doesn't think that she is better
than anyone else.

[For Personal Development]

• The nature is in a state of balance. Exploiting nature always creates disasters and comes back to haunt us.
• Instead of going against the flow of the universe, follow the path of least resistance and direction of the Tao,
• Reduce what’s in excess in your life and then offer it where it can be utilized.

[For Coaching]

• We partner with the client to expand the awareness and show them a bigger picture.
• Self love comes before the love to others. It is only when we can be compassionate with ourselves; we can then be compassionate to others.
• Have a strong reserve in the following six areas in life so we can better share our unique gift with the client: 1) time & space; 2) love & attraction; 3) money & freedom; 4) energy & vitality; 5) opportunities & momentum; 6) source & power.

Verse 67

Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
Others call it lofty but impractical.
But to those who have looked inside themselves,
this nonsense makes perfect sense.
And to those who put it into practice,
this loftiness has roots that go deep.

I have three treasures which I hold and keep.
The first is compassion;
the second is simplicity;
the third is daring not to be ahead of others.

From compassion comes courage;
from simplicity comes generosity;
from humility comes leadership.

Nowadays men shun mercy, but try to be brave;
They abandon economy, but try to be generous;
They do not believe in humility, but always try to be first.
This is certain death.

Compassion brings victory in battle and strength in defense.
It is the means by which heaven saves and guards.

[For Personal Development]

• Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing, by putting theory into actions.
• When we are patient and accept what ‘is’, we are able to tap the power of now.
• Do not run away from your pain. Have the courage to hold it; look deeply into it; love it like a mother comforting her crying baby. With understanding and compassion, you can begin to heal your wounds, and the wounds of the world.
• From simplicity grows generosity. Simplicity equals an abundant life without an abundance of stuff. It is human nature to be generous when we feel we have more than enough.

[For Coaching]

• Coaching skill development goes hand in hand with the personal development. Some coaching skills/concepts do not make sense for beginner coaches until the personal development catches on.
• Our compassion for our clients and the absence of make-wrongs, enables us to create the trust and intimacy necessary for coaching to work.
• In deep connection with ourselves we are able to connect deeply with our clients.

Verse 38

The Master doesn't try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.

The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls up his sleeves and uses force.

When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.

Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusions go.

[For Personal Development]

• Stop trying to be; just being.
• The harder the force, the stronger the resistance.
  
• Trust your inner knowing; let go of the arbitrary rules and take back your authentic self.

[For Coaching]

• Not just do coaching; be a coach.
• As coaches we clarify and ask for evidence instead of accepting what the client says at face value. We look beyond the symptoms, identify the sources and address the underlying causes.
• If you judge people, you have no time to love them [Mother Teresa]. Love our clients for who they are.
  

Verse 20

Give up learning, and put an end to your troubles.
Is there a difference between yes and no?
Is there a difference between good and evil?
Must I fear what others fear? What nonsense!

Other people are contented, enjoying the sacrificial feast of the ox.
In spring some go to the park, and climb the terrace,
But I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am.

Like a newborn babe before it learns to smile,
I am alone, without a place to go.
Others have more than they need, but I alone have nothing.

I am a fool. Oh, yes! I am confused.
Others are clear and bright,
But I alone am dim and weak.
Others are sharp and clever,
But I alone am dull and stupid.
Oh, I drift like the waves of the sea,
Without direction, like the restless wind.

Everyone else is busy,
But I alone am aimless and depressed.
I am different.
I am nourished by the great mother.

[For Personal Development]

• You must find your own way. Others' approval doesn’t determine your self-worth. Should’s and have-to’s are not leading to true fulfillment.
• To be in harmony with the universe requires awareness not thought.
• Projection is not reality; it is your own attitudes, feelings, or suppositions to others.
• Dare to be different; be bold; take risks.

[For Coaching]

• As coaches, we learn, unlearn, and relearn. We let go of our beliefs, answers, and solutions, so we can be truly open, listen and learn from our clients.
• To be present for the client, we must clear our minds of our own lives.
• Awareness is the precursor to choice: we support our clients to make new choices that follow their hearts desires.
• It is perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable when stepping into a whole new space with an expanded awareness.
• Strong coaching presence is demonstrated by open to not knowing and takes risks, for the maximum benefit of clients.

Verse 35

She who is centered in the Tao
can go where she wishes, without danger.
She perceives the universal harmony,
even amid great pain,
because she has found peace in her heart.

Music or the smell of good cooking
may make people stop and enjoy.
But words that point to the Tao
seem monotonous and without flavor.
When you look for it, there is nothing to see.
When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear.
When you use it, it is inexhaustible.

[For Personal Development]

• The universe is friendly. Things happen for us, not to us. Our job is not about bending the universe but to accept it.
• Feeling and dealing with the pain is the only way to remove it and move on.
• Pleasure is a temporary experience. Fulfillment is the true happiness which lives longer in us.
• Pure water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, but it fulfills our thirst.

[For Coaching]

• Coaches hold a safe place the client to explore their passion and face their fears.
• Reframing helps the client to see things differently and subsequently come to different conclusions, or feelings about the event or experience.
• Great coaching is effortless. The harder we (i.e. the client and the coach) push, the slower the client progress.
  

Verse 41

When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.If he didn't laugh, it wouldn't be the Tao.

Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest seem unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.

The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.

[For Personal Development]

• How can a finch understand the ambitions of a swan! (Chinese proverb)
• Visionary leaders are often ahead of their time; their ideas are so revolutionary that people laugh at them.
• Paradox is the true essence of life.
• To evolve we must step into the darkness of the unknown.
  
• Have a dream so big so you cannot achieve it until you can grow into a person who can.

[For Coaching]Hold the client to a higher standard than they might hold themselves.

• Coaches go deep with the client and look beyond the surface, to see the truth underneath.
• Be curious and stay curious- the client has his/her own reason, even if it does not seem to be apparent at a first glance.
• The power of coaching lies in getting our own agenda out of the way so that the client can grow.
• The cleaner and simpler the questions, the greater the opportunity for the client to express themselves.
  

Verse 46

When the world is in harmony with the Tao,
running horses are retired to till the fields.
When the world runs counter to the Tao,
warhorses are bred in the countryside.

There is no greater sin than desire,
No greater curse than discontent,
No greater misfortune than wanting something for oneself.

Contentment alone is enough.
Indeed, the bliss of eternity can be found in your contentment.

[For Personal Development]

• Desire is endless. The more we have, the more we want; the more we want, the more it takes to satisfy us.
• We are as happy as we believe ourselves to be.
• Contentment is the freedom from anxiety, want or need.
• Craving creates attachment ; all suffering is caused by attachment.

[For Coaching]

• Simplify your life. Less is more.
• Gratitude is a key to contentment and happiness.
• Abundance thinkers focus on what is possible and appreciate what they have while reaching for what they want in life. Scarcity thinkers focus on what they don’t have (or don't have enough of), what they might lose, and what hasn’t worked.

Verse 48

In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.

True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering.

[For Personal Development]

• Life is effortless.
• Surrender the ego and let your life unfold moment to moment.
• Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff [Richard Carlson]
• Perfection is a form of self-abuse.

[For Coaching]

• As coaches we partner with clients to remove their blocks, zap their tolerations, strengthen their boundaries, so they can return to their authentic self, recognize their inherent strengths and talents, and find their own answers.
• We learn to coach by coaching; no amount of study will make you into a coach.
• You cannot fill a cup that is already full. Sometimes, clients are just not ready to receive coaching in certain areas.

Verse 12

Colors blind the eye.
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavors numb the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray.

The Master observes the world
but trusts his inner vision.
He allows things to come and go.
His heart is open as the sky.

[For Personal Development]

• Over stimuli creates stress instead of pleasure.
• Living off adrenaline may be fine for a moment but it exhausts you over time.
• Happiness is not out there in the material world. True peace and satisfaction comes from inside.
• Trusting your inner knowing. The deepest level of truth is observed from the heart.

[For Coaching]

• Simplify your life; less is more.
• As coaches we trust our intuition when observe the client’s world. Instead of getting caught up by the client’s story, we see things from the deeper place of “who”.

Verse 42

The Tao gives birth to one.
One gives birth to two.
Two gives birth to three.
Three gives birth to ten thousand things.
The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang.
They achieve harmony by combining these forces.

Men hate to be "orphaned," "widowed," or "worthless,"
But this is how kings and lords describe themselves.
For one gains by losing,
and loses by gaining.

What others taught, I teach.
The violent do not die a natural death.
This is the essence of my teaching.

[For Personal Development]

• When we accept our weaknesses and negative emotions/thoughts we are free to focus our attention on and embrace the positives.
• Human nature is paradoxical as we are individuals, completely alone, yet we yearn for companionship and friendship.
• Live by the sword, you die by the sword.

[For Coaching]

• Gaining can lead to attachment and risk aversion. Losing can be liberating and lead to the freedom of detachment.
• Give up the need to be right as a coach. Allow the client shows up vulnerable and fearful and you are not making them wrong for it. Be compassionate.
• Break a vicious cycle by taking actions.

Verse 78

Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.

Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,

nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard;

the gentle overcomes the rigid.

Everyone knows this is true,

but few can put it into practice.

Therefore the Master remains serene in the midst of sorrow.

Evil cannot enter his heart.

Because he has given up helping,

he is people's greatest help.

True words seem paradoxical.

[For Personal Development]

• Perseverance overcomes obstacles.
• Athletes reach their peak state often when they are relaxed and alert, not when they are rigid and tense. Many martial art techniques must be applied with muscles relaxed, with softness, yielding, and flexibility.
• Things that are weak have potential and room for more. Things that are strong have reached their maturation, exposed everything and showed all the negatives. Things that are weak will last longer. Things that are strong only last for a short time.

[For Coaching]

• Stay centered and tranquil as a coach. Often static overcome dynamic, weak overcome strong and slow overcome fast.
• Invite the client to let go of control in their life and relationships. It opens up a space for something new to come in and allow themselves to release the stress.
• Our clients naturally creative, resourceful and whole. Coaching is not about trying so hard to “help”; it is partnering with the clients and help them to find their own answers.

Verse 79

After a bitter quarrel, some resentment must remain.
What can one do about it?
Therefore the sage keeps his half of the bargain
But does not exact his due.

A man of Virtue performs his part,
But a man without Virtue requires others to fulfil their obligations.
The Tao of heaven is impartial.
It stays with good men all the time.

[For Personal Development]

• Someone must stop returning injury with injury or hostility will never end.
• Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness [Confucius].
• Tao is impartial. To the giver comes the fullness f life. To the taker, just an empty hand.

[For Coaching]

• People who operate in the context of responsibility declare that they are accountable for their interpretations and behaviour. They are empowered by being the source of their own results.
• Failure is an opportunity. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame.
• To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you [Lewis B. Smedes]

Verse 5

The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.

The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.

Hold on to the center.

[For Personal Development]

• The power of the Tao can be used in both positive and negative endeavours.
• Step up and take the responsibility. The universe does not play favorites. Don’t play the victim and expect others to come to our rescue.
• Living in harmony with the Tao, creates powerful synergies.
• Understanding of the Tao is beyond the human mind, we can only feel the power.
• You cannot fill a cup that's already full. To be receptive, empty the cup and open the mind.

[For Coaching]

• Coaching is a powerful tool, be wary of the dark side!! Imposing your own agenda.
• Unconditional positive regard is blanket acceptance and support of a person regardless of what the person says or does. It is essential to healthy development. [Carl Rogers].
• Trust your intuition. Shifts often occurs heart-to-heart, not just head-to-head.

Verse 57

If you want to be a great leader,

you must learn to follow the Tao.

Stop trying to control.

Let go of fixed plans and concepts,

and the world will govern itself.

The more prohibitions you have,

the less virtuous people will be.

The more weapons you have,

the less secure people will be.

The more subsidies you have,

the less self-reliant people will be.

Therefore the Master says:

I let go of the law,

and people become honest.

I let go of economics,

and people become prosperous.

I let go of religion,

and people become serene.

I let go of all desire for the common good,

and the good becomes common as grass.

[For Personal Development]

• Laws create two things: dependency and law breakers.
• The world is in constant flux, trying to control what happens resists this law and inevitably leads to failure.
• Stop trying to control everything and allow the flow. Let go of interference, and the world will govern itself.

[For Coaching]

• Work with the client to help them find their own answers.
• Move with the client in the moment, let go of your agenda that seeks to control the outcome.
• Coaches are leaders, not managers. Management is about organizing and staffing. Leadership, however, is about aligning people.

Verse 26

The heavy is the root of the light.
The unmoved is the source of all movement.

Thus the Master travels all daywithout leaving home.
However splendid the views,
she stays serenely in herself.

Why should the lord of the countryflit about like a fool?
If you let yourself be blown to and fro,
you lose touch with your root.
If you let restlessness move you,
you lose touch with who you are.

[For Personal Development]

• Peace of mind is an inner state and is independent of outer conditions.
• Stay connected with your root. Be proud of who you are.
• In connection with our true self, we transcend differences and find unity in the eternal Tao.
• Find your own way: developing your own principles and values creates a deep root from which the highest trees grow.

[For Coaching]

• Be tranquil so we can be flexible; remain centered so we can be fully conscious and create spontaneous relationship with the client [coaching presence].
• Strong personal foundation is the structural basis that supports the growth and development of the client.
• Be authentic as a coach. Clients are attracted to us for who we are, not for what we do.

Verse 39

In harmony with the Tao,

the sky is clear and spacious,

the earth is solid and full,

all creature flourish together,

content with the way they are,

endlessly repeating themselves,

endlessly renewed.

When man interferes with the Tao,

the sky becomes filthy,

the earth becomes depleted,

the equilibrium crumbles,

creatures become extinct.

The Master views the parts with compassion,

because he understands the whole.

His constant practice is humility.

He doesn't glitter like a jewel

but lets himself be shaped by the Tao,

as rugged and common as stone.

[For Personal Development]

• Environmental degradation is evidence that humans are out of balance, in disharmony with universal forces.
• It is much better to take a holistic approach in what we do, and see problems as vehicles for growth.
• Aligning yourself with the flow of the universe and living in joy, harmony, radiant health and love. Life does not have to be a struggle.

[For Coaching]

• Paint a picture for your client when you coach. Metaphors and stories are engaging and memorable. [Lao Tzu did such a great job in this verse!]
• As coaches when we are in harmony with the clients, we are grounded in the moment and hold a clear, safe space open for the dance to flourish.
• The practise of humility enables us to see the client as whole and not needing to be fixed.