The Way and the Power of Virtue

  Therefore, those who follow the Way unite on the Way; those who have grasped the power of virtue unite in virtue; those who have experienced loss unite in loss.   Those who are united on the Way,  rejoice in obtaining fellowship along the Way; Those who are united in the power of virtue,  rejoice in obtaining fellowship in virtue; Those who are united in loss, rejoice in obtaining fellowship in loss. Wherein trustworthiness is insufficient, therein is untrustworthiness. Everyone has trials that are hard to bear.   We all have have seasons of struggle and suffering.  All of us face fear and go through some hard times in our lives.  Everybody experiences great moments and high points.  We are more alike than we are different. What unites us is stronger and more significant than what divides us.  Every moment of every day, we all stand at a crossroads in our lives just like everyone else.   While our crossroads is comple...

  Things burst forth, like plants budding in the spring, And yet each one returns home again and again to its roots.   The imagery of plants blooming in spring is both beautiful and powerful.   After a long, cold season of dormancy, in which the natural world patiently waits and bides its time, the conditions are finally right for massive growth.   Spring rains, longer days, warmer temperatures act as a catalyst for a veritable explosion of new buds, blooms, and blossoms as life begins to release and unlock the latent potential stored up inside.   During such times everything comes back to life.   Everything stretches and extends itself, reaching farther to unprecedented heights, growing bigger and stronger, creating more abundance, and reproducing the next generation to ensure ongoing survival and invest in the future.   There is a powerful lesson here for each of us.   Though we cannot always fully control when the external conditions for ma...