Too much sun and a storm will come.

It is very important to always accept change, cycles, bobs and waves. Ebbs and flows, ups and downs. Perhaps this is the understanding that we have already in our nature that causes the philosophies in the Tao Te Ching to ring true and resonate with us on first contact.

By contrast the idea some people form is that they can always be at rest, attain a lasting and perfect inner peace, they may call this enlightenment or perhaps not such a big name, perhaps just contentment or happiness - whatever label these people give it the idea is that it lasts permanently.

We only need to look at nature though to see how nothing is ever in such a state of rest and this is how the Taoists first came to their realizations. There is a balance to nature but it is in constant flux. Too much sun and a storm will come. Too much rain and it floods. One cycle is a part of another and these interactions form new patterns of their own. We have no say in this.

I recently heard a quote, perhaps old to you, perhaps new. Attributed to Penn Jillette "Luck is probability taken personally" and it is a fun quote. The person who wants for a permanent state of being will not find it here in life and may actually go about feeling lucky or unlucky, sometimes the fly, sometimes the windshield. Only those with the acceptance of flow and change will be able to adapt so as to always be ok. This is the way of the Taoist and how the master gets along. They will bob up when it is time to go up, bend their knees in readiness to take the down. Duck for cover in a storm and have a nice sit down in the sun. Simple as that. Like a surfer takes a wave or a eagle rides the thermals. Effortlessly having the work done for them.