April 3rd

Confidence


Truth perceived gives assurance.
Skill yields self-reliance.
With courage, we can defy danger.
To increase power, increase humility.

Through constant contemplation, we can arrive at the truth. The more experienced we are, the more thorough our understanding, and thus the more we can come to rely on our knowledge. When we exercise what we know, it not only extends our understanding of the truth but helps us take action in meaningful ways. The more we do, the more self-reliant we are.Every achievement brings a wonderful dividend of confidence. We try greater and greater ventures, until we are brave enough to accomplish undertakings far beyond what the average person imagines. When we reach that level of consummate skill, it is a time of both celebration and extreme caution. We are justified to rejoice, for this is the level of ability that we have been striving so long and hard to attain. It is also the time for caution because the foolish will eventually try something too great for them to handle. Pride and passion will lead to their downfall.
Therefore, the more accomplished one becomes, the more circumspect one should be. The higher one's skills, the more precarious one's road. The most powerful followers of Tao are also among the most humble. By veiling their light until the proper moments, they escape the greatest danger of all : hubris.

Personal Interpretation

It is good to seek to become self-reliant. With time we can grow more skillful in the areas that matter most to us. This process will instill the very confidence that will enable us to attempt yet greater feats. We can come to rely less on others, can drive the ship of our lives, can avoid seeing ourselves as nothing more than victims of fate.  It is not enough simply to hone our skills however. We must know when and how to use them, and while it is good to be confident, we should be wary of hubris. The higher we climb, the greater the fall. The most powerful practitioners of Tao seem humble to our eyes not because they recognize their powerlessness, but because they have learned the art of knowing when to wait, poised to strike, and when to leap into action.