Wen Tzu - Verse 20

from Verse Twenty

Those whose vital spirit is scattered outwardly and whose intellectual ruminations ramble inwardly cannot govern their bodies. When what the spirit employs is distant, then what it loses is nearby.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

For me, the operative word in the passage above is scattered. When we move in a million different directions simultaneously, it is next too impossible to stay centered. When either our body or mind (or both!) is moving to and fro, it becomes very easy to lose our balance and fall, sometimes so hard that we can't get up again.

To be able to master any skill in life -- including life itself -- one must be able to focus. When we refuse to focus on what's important, the picture comes out fuzzy and blurry. In a manner of speaking, the image becomes scattered and it's pointless to use a fuzzy picture as a blueprint for anything!

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.