A Tiger CAN Change Its Stripes

For those who have an unbreakable spirit and a purposeful heart: this design is for you, guys!

天下無難事, 只怕有心人 
(Pīnyīn: Tiānxià wúnán shì, zhǐ pà yǒuxīnrén)
Rough translation: “There’s not a single hardship under the Heavens that does not fear a purposeful heart”.

Few statements ring as true as this one, right? Just look at the thousands of Paralympic athletes across the world. Or the millions of immigrants who start their lives over – from scratch – in countries where they don’t understand anything and don’t know anyone. Parents who give their all, making the impossible possible, just so that their kids can have food on the table and access to a good education. People who live with uncurable illness, and still, always find reasons to smile. This design is for them, because it represents all of them. ;o)

The reason why we chose this illustration is because, in Chinese culture, tigers are a symbol of strength, confidence and courage. As a matter of fact, there’s even a Chinese expression that reads as 如虎添翼 (Pīnyīn: Rú hǔ tiān yì), which roughly and freely means “Like Adding Wings to a Tiger”. It conveys the idea of turning something that’s already great (a Tiger) into something even more powerful (a Tiger With Wings).

Now, here’s a fun fact for those of you who enjoy or are into Chinese Horoscope: people born in the Year of the Tiger (50, 62, 74, 86, 98, 2010 and 2022) are known to be fearless and indomitable. They’re not afraid of anything. They don’t shy away from any challenge. They fear no one. They do whatever they want and ONLY if they want it.

That being said, if you know someone who’s a “Tiger”, and are starting to remember a certain occasion when this person did something you told her/him to do, believe me: he/she didn’t do it because you told them to; they did it but because they WANTED to do what you told them to. ;o))

All jokes aside, this is what we wanted to express with this design: may we never lack a purposeful heart to face every single hardship under the Heavens; neither wings to remind us that the sky is our only limit.

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).

Let It Go

A beautiful message to remind us that life must be lived in a peaceful, gentle and happy manner. ;o)

順其自然
(Pīnyīn: Shùn qí zìrán)
Rough translation: “Let It Go” / “Let It Flow Naturally”

Of all the proverbs that make up this collection, this one is, by far, the most complex one; the deepest one; the richest in significance; the hardest one to practice; and the most difficult to explain. So, instead of forcing it, trying to find one single definition, we decided to, well... let it go. ;o)

When Chinese people say 順其自然:

It means we mustn’t worry about things that are not in our control: for example, what other people may think of us (anyone else out there relates to that one? ;o)).
It’s the opposite of “banging your head against a brick wall”.
It’s understanding – with a clean conscience– that “it wasn’t meant to be”.
It’s acknowledging – with a grateful heart–that “it was meant to be”
It means “accepting after trying it all”; not “resigning without trying at all”.
It’s when “things just click”.
It’s when “there’s chemistry”.
It has to do with the sense of peace that comes from giving your best.
It means living with your arms open, not crossed.
It’s a reminder that we can’t control everything.

The illustration shows an eagle flying over waves, alluding to the only two elements in Nature that flow: air and water. When these elements are, respectively, in blowing and running mode, they always follow their most natural path. They flow. They don’t push. And when faced with obstacles, they adapt. They swerve. They change directions. They change rhythm. But they stay on course. Flowing. Unequivocally. Without ever pushing or powering through. Until they reach their destination. 

Staying on course, without pushing. Working towards a goal, without ever worrying about it. Letting go of control, without losing it. Chasing your dreams knowing that by doing your best, God will do the rest.

This is the message we would like you to get from this design, and which applies to all of us: letting it go is and was never about giving up, accepting the worst. 

Instead, it’s an invitation to keep going, hoping for the best.