“The Tao Te Ching shows how loss reveals hidden usefulness. When we release what we to, new space appears, echoing how the burned barn exposes the moon, and the illusions we mistook for shelter.”
Reading this haiku, I hear Marcus Aurelius whispering: adversity isn’t the end, it’s the path. Resistance shapes us. “The impediment to action advances action.” Each obstacle is an opportunity for building strength, clarity, and resilience. Walk it. 💕
(Iki, Australia)
Resistance keeps us stuck in the ashes. Acceptance helps us to see the moon.
When life burns down one of our familiar structures, it’s easy to slip into victim mode or get lost in frustration, but much of our suffering comes from resisting what’s already here. Resistance pulls us out of the present moment and disconnects us from peace. Acceptance isn’t pretending we like what happened. It’s simply telling the truth: this is what is. From that honest place, we regain our ability to respond with clarity rather than react from agitation. And something else becomes possible too. When we stop fighting reality, we often begin to notice what we couldn’t see before, a lesson, a strength being formed, a new perspective, or even a quiet blessing that only becomes visible after the loss. Even when we can’t yet see a gift, acceptance itself is a gift because it returns us to presence, and from presence we can take the next right step forward.
May we meet life‘s challenges with honest acceptance, staying rooted in the present, allowing new clarity to rise as we move forward with wisdom and peace🙏🏼❤️☕️
Mike McCain
Michigan
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I am struck by the Taoism reference that empty space is what makes the vessel useful. I’m working my way out of the hustle and achieving culture and finding a life of far greater meaning. Creating that empty space is definitely opening up my vision to what truly matters. 🌙
