Line by Line - Verse 8, Line 9

that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

In daily life, be competent.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Handling with great capability
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Be prepared for anything.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I like the way John Lash addresses this line.

Whatever it is that you are doing, do it 100 per cent. You are only 100 per cent alive when you are 100 per cent here and now.

In other words, half-ass doesn't cut it! When we lazily go about our business, we miss opportunities to grow and serve because we aren't truly paying full attention. Our minds and hearts are divided. Typically, we indulge ourselves by focusing more on our desires than what is right in front of us.

If we decide that something is worth doing, we should do it as well as we are able.

If not, what's the point?

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.