The Sage by never dealing with the great, accomplishes greatness
The baby clock is now old enough to starting ticking.
Grandfather clock is the Master. He says to the baby clock adoringly, “Let’s get to work now!”
“So I will learn to tick today,” asks the baby clock, barely able to hide her excitement.
“Yes, my dear,” replies the grandfather clock.
“How many ticks do I need to do?” Asks the baby clock.
“310,000 ticks a year,” says the senior.
“What? 310,000 ticks? I don’t think I can do that!”
“Don’t you worry,” says the grandfather clock laughingly. “If you can do a tick every second, you’re going to do 300 thousand ticks a year.”
“Do a tick a second? That’s easy! “ Exclaims the baby clock. She begins ticking, and as the grandfather clock predicts, she clocks 310,000 ticks by the end of the year.
The secret of being great is to be small.
It is good to think BIG, but without thinking small, the BIG is, more often than not, a pipe dream.
The baby clock cannot possibly perform the grand scheme of 310,000 ticks – if she does not split the ticks into a tick every second.
On the other hand, do not underestimate what you can achieve, however big the dream is.
Think big, and break the greatness into plenty of small steps, just like what the baby clock does. If you can stay consistent, and take the every small step one at a time, you would achieve the greatness — beyond your imagination!
As Lao Tzu the Sage says in Tao Te Ching, Chapter 63:
“The Sage by never dealing with the great
Accomplishes greatness.” Translated by Lin Yutang
Thanks Alexander Von Halem for the picture
