One Small Step. One Giant Leap.
/Take the first step! Do not fear! You’ll be surprised how many wonderful things await you.
道德經章節-陸拾肆 (Pīnyīn: Dàodé jīng Zhāngjié-lùshísì)
Translation: “Dao de jing, chapter 64”
千里之行, 始於足下 (Pīnyīn: Qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zúxià)
Rough translation: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
老子 (Pīnyīn: Lǎozi)
There’s no way to tell with 100% certainty who wrote or who is responsible for compiling and organizing the proverbs found in the Dao De Jing. In any case, the most widely accepted version is that it was philosopher Lao Zi who wrote the book.
Lao Zi is a semi-legendary figure. Everything about him is sort of a mistery. When was he born? When did he die? Was he really a contemporary of Confucius? Well, no one truly knows. In fact, some experts go as far as questioning if Lao Zi even existed! Nonetheless, amidst all these doubts, one thing is for certain: the book Dao De Jing remains relevant to this day. And its teachings continue to influence millions not only in China, but also around the world.
Dao De Jing (sometimes referred to as Tao Te Ching) is possibly the most classical and traditional compilation of Chinese proverbs there is. Considered one of main the pillars of Taoism, the book is organized into 81 chapters: 37 dedicated to “Dao*” (which means “way”) and 44 dedicated to “De” (meaning, roughly, “virtue”)
The proverb that makes up our design can be found in chapter 64.
It reminds us of the value of taking the first step. It shows us that, before worrying about slipping, tripping or falling, the most important thing is to take the first step. It’s starting. Staring with hope. With the hope that things are going to work out! As for the rest of the journey, relax: we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. So, off we go guys. Time to take that first step! We’ll meet in a thousand miles! ;o)
* Fun fact for those of you who are martial arts lovers: in Chinese, the character Dao (道) is used to represent the “Do” in TaeKwonDo (which means the way of foot and fist) and the “Do” in Judo (which means gentle way).
In Chinese, TaeKwonDo is 跆拳道 (Pīnyīn: Táiquándào); and Judo is柔道 (Pīnyīn: Róudào).
