Tao Te Ching – Chapter Sixty Three
Written by Lao-tzu – From a translation by S. Mitchell
Act without doing;
work without effort.
Think of the small as large,
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult,
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task,
by a series of small acts.
The Master never reaches for the great;
thus she achieves greatness.
When she runs into a difficulty,
she stops and gives herself to it.
She doesn’t cling to her own comfort;
thus problems are no problem for her.
How I Read This Chapter
Don’t chase greatness,
notice the small.
Start before it’s hard.
Do one quiet thing,
and another,
and another.
Big changes are only,
small steps in disguise.
The Master doesn’t rush or resist.
They meet what is here, now,
and move gently.
That’s how they becomes strong.
What This Means To Me
This chapter is like a deep breath for my soul. A reminder of the rhythm I try to live by now, one moment at a time.
“Accomplish the great task by a series of small acts.” This was something I had to learn – slowly, and not always easily. Because my life used to be filled with overwhelm. Everything felt too much – too big, too tangled, too far gone. And the anxiety that lived inside me, which I’d carried since childhood, would kick in fast. I didn’t know how to take things piece by piece. So I’d avoid, run, drink, hide – anything to not feel the weight of it all.
But in recovery – through AA and the Tao – I’ve learned a different way. A quieter way. I’ve learned that I don’t need to climb the whole mountain in a day. I just need to take the next right step. One small act. One honest word. One item crossed off the list. And, slowly, the anxiety that once roared in me has softened to a hum. It’s not gone – but it no longer rules my life.
“Think of the small as large, and the few as many.” This isn’t just philosophy. It’s practice. Every day in sobriety, I get to live this. Because recovery hasn’t just given me freedom from alcohol – it’s given me so many other gifts. The kind I never expected. Sobriety is the first gift, the foundation, but what’s been built on that foundation is something much richer: peace, presence, clarity, usefulness.
Most mornings now when I wake up and don’t feel panic. Just stillness. There are days at work where I don’t have to micromanage or prove myself. I just do what needs doing. I’ve stopped needing to run from life, or race ahead of it. I walk with it. I carry things gently. I look after the little, and the big things begin to take care of themselves.
Like the old saying goes, “Look after the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves.” That’s what this chapter teaches me too. When I stay in the moment, when I tend to the now – life works. When I show up for small tasks with love and attention, bigger things seem to unfold almost on their own.
“When she runs into a difficulty, she stops and gives herself to it.” That’s something I’m learning. In the past, I avoided hard things or tried to power through them. Now, I stop. I breathe. I turn it over. I give myself to it, not away from it. And most of the time, the difficulty softens. Or it teaches me something. Or it passes. I don’t need to be comfortable all the time. I just need to be present.
Today, I don’t chase greatness. I trust the path of small acts. I stay close to the Tao and AA, and I let the day unfold as it’s meant to. Not with force – but with faith.
