About a year ago, I bought myself a book by Lao Tzu "The Book of the Way of Life". I've heard a lot about her. I put off reading it for a long time, since this book should be read calmly, slowly, in a cozy calm atmosphere. This book is different from anything I've read.
While reading the book, I emphasized a lot of useful and new things for myself, but there were also things that I knew about, but simply forgot. There's a lot to think about. I want to emphasize some points that can be reflected.
1. Human is his only friend and only enemy. Our victories and our defeats are in ourselves. To be yourself means to overcome yourself and open up the possibility of "becoming what you have never been before."
2. In life, sooner or later you have to make your choice, and in the end you have to choose (or not choose) yourself.
3. A person is valuable not because of what he has already done, but because he has not yet done! Incompleteness is actually a positive concept.
4. Whoever does not hold on to anything will lose nothing.
5. Anyone who tries to look beautiful shows his ugliness. He who flaunts his mind demonstrates his own stupidity.
6. The winner is the one who knows how to concede. Chinese wisdom teaches that whoever takes a step back will move two steps forward.
7. Human speech is valuable not because of the beauty of the syllable, but because of the trust that the speaker inspires.
8. The best is oftentimes the enemy of the good. Perfectionism binds a person to what he managed to accomplish, makes him a slave to his own successes.
9. There is no need to be like people who, not knowing how to play musical instruments, argue about which of them is the best musician, showing each other the notes.
10. It is always useful to "fall out" of the routine of everyday life and stop being attractive to the world. You begin to see and understand the world much better.
11. Every word and deed is necessary and useful in its time.
12. To live is to live your life with pleasure and meaningfully. Wisdom matures in time.
13. Do not burden yourself with worries about tomorrow or memories of the day past. You have to live in the present.
14. Our socialized self is influenced by anonymous publicity with its notions of authority, power, fame, well-being, and a "decent life." When it takes possession of our consciousness, our life turns into an endless, violent pursuit of things that we can do without. Be satisfied with what you have enough.
15. Allow yourself to be yourself.
16. To go your own way is to always be "here and now".
17. To gain freedom is not to prove your case.
18. The freedom to be whoever you want is truly "to be alive in life."
19. The simplest thing is to appreciate life.
20. Water is an example of the unbending volition and inexhaustible patience that make an otherwise weak woman so strong.
21. You can't really live without madness.
22. If there are few people who understand me, then there is something to appreciate in me.
23. There is no need to deceive yourself, fantasize, try to please someone.
24. You need to cherish your own life. Wisdom is the ability to take yourself seriously. The respect of others will be achieved only by those who have learned to respect themselves. Only those who know how to control themselves are able to manage others.
25. Do you want to be strong? Learn to be weak. Do you want to win? Know how to give in. Why? There is no explanation. Wait and see. It is not calculation that teaches, but life itself.
