what lies still is easy to grasp;

what lies far off is easy to anticipate;

what is brittle is easy to shatter;

what is small is easy to disperse.

yet a tree broader than a man can embrace is born of a tiny shoot;

a dam greater than a river can overflow starts with a clod of earth;

a journey of a thousand miles begins at the spot under one’s feet.

therefore deal with things before they happen;

create order before there is confusion.