Chapter 63: Living Without Difficulties
“Practice non-action. Work without doing.
Taste the tasteless. Magnify the small; increase the few.
Reward bitterness with care.
See simplicity in the complicated.
Achieve greatness in little things.
Take on difficulties while they are still easy;
do great things while they are still small.
The sage does not attempt anything very big,
and thus achieves greatness.”
— Tao Te Ching, Verse 63
This verse encourages us to adopt the art of ease and effortlessness in our daily lives. Lao Tzu isn’t denying that challenges exist—he is showing how to approach life so that challenges don’t become suffering.
Wayne Dyer interprets this as an invitation to drop the mindset that life is difficult, and instead meet each moment with simplicity, humility, and present action. Great achievements begin with small, mindful steps. Complications dissolve when we stay centered in calm, steady effort.
By practicing non-resistance, we transcend stress. We move with life, not against it.
Key Themes
- Work with ease, not struggle
- Break big tasks into simple, manageable actions
- Avoid procrastination by beginning early
- Meet bitterness and hardship with care, not resistance
- Greatness is found in the little things
Actionable Steps: Living Without Difficulties
- Do Small Things with Presence
- Instead of waiting for a “perfect moment” or trying to tackle everything at once, break your tasks into small, clear actions.
- Ask, “What’s the next simple step I can take now?”
- Dissolve Problems Early
- Handle tasks while they are still manageable. Don’t let them build into overwhelming challenges.
- Early attention prevents unnecessary suffering.
- Reward Bitterness with Compassion
- When confronted with negativity or harshness, choose kindness.
- This transforms energy instead of mirroring it.
- Practice Wu Wei (Effortless Action)
- Approach your responsibilities with grace and natural flow.
- Do without forcing, help without controlling, achieve without anxiety.
- Let Go of Drama and Difficulty Thinking
- If you constantly think, “Life is hard,” you create resistance.
- Replace this with: “Life is full of small, manageable moments.”
Mantra for Living Without Difficulties
“I flow through life with ease. All is simple when I stay present.”
Repeat this when facing tasks or tension—it helps realign you with effortlessness, calm, and clarity.
