"i Have Just Three Things to Teach: Simplicity, Patience, Compassion". Lao- Tzu

Introduction

Over the course of hundreds of centuries, many individuals live by the virtues that the Eastern philosopher, Lao-tzu wrote about. The virtues of simplicity, patience, and compassion are all timeless virtues that guided the lives of the world's earliest inhabitants and are still relevant today. A Philosophy called Taoism, a collection of poems called the Tao Te Ching, or The Way and Its Power that taught the virtues he considered necessary for a civilized society. Tao means really care for them, take care of their needs, and these, "the way of life" and individuals who are motivated by pursuing leadership and recognition (popularity, power).

. The first treasure: Simplicity. It involves priorities and discovering what is truly important, of simplicity Lao-tzu said, "In thinking, keep it to the simple". He simply does what is necessary because it is necessary. Simple in action and in thought. His teachings had clarity for all to understand; having no hidden agenda or message. In his actions he was basic; being true to himself with traditional values. He didn't try to impress anyone; rather he led by example and lived an uncomplicated life. Today, I agree so many people cannot simplify their lives because they live on a merry-go-round and can not seem to get off. We are so busy being busy that we can not enjoy the simple pleasures in life; time with our families, time to appreciate our traditions, time to value nature. Employees work longer hours to make more, but enjoy everything less. Students feel pressured to excel at everything, but all too often collapse under the stress and feel like failures. Here's how I personally handle this: When I feel overwhelmed by my "to-do list" I create a game by challenging myself to let go of everything I can do without. Then, I remove as many things as I can from my list. What I am left with are those items of greatest importance. I devote as much time necessary to completing each task with joy and precision.

Gordon page 2

Treasure number two: Patience. Yes, the virtue. And just like simplicity, it is also a challenge to move slowly through tasks until they have been completed or to remain calm when dealing with someone outrageous. As Lao-tzu wrote about the importance of simplicity in one's life, he also tried to instill the significance of patience. I agree at times, patience can be mistaken as sloth or laziness more so in this modern rush, rush world, this quality is very noble and can indeed be helpful in growing ourselves. Patient people are not thrown off by unexpected delays or momentary difficulty (ies). They usually use idle time rather than be frustrated by the delay; they have mind games, listen to audio tapes or read books while queuing up or doing other

...