“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all being in the world.” ~Lao Tzu
Simplicity calls us to relax, trust, appreciate the little things, and let go of complicated ideas and ways of being. Life’s sweetest moments are also often the simplest. It’s not about how it looks; it’s about how it feels. To me, simple feels light and easy, while complicated feels heavy and grueling.
Patience calls us to slow down, stop pushing, and take a deep breath rather than rushing onward, annoyed with everyone and everything in our path. It’s an antidote to judgment. Rewarding, soul-touching moments generally prefer the soft glow of calm acceptance to the harsh light of frenetic striving.
Compassion lays a foundation of kindness and love. Many of us are really good at offering it up to others, but when we can offer it to ourselves, its power expands exponentially. It’s like a light beaming brightly into the darkness rather than a picture of a light in a dark window. The real thing reaches further than the idea.
There’s no need to pull the river – the keys to floating above the churning chaos lie in simplicity, patience, and compassion. One choice at a time.