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.