The Root of Things

Rugby
Not a very good start to the Lions tour so far, narrow victory over a scratch side and losing to the bottom club (albeit one with eight All Blacks in it) the Auckland Blues (my son David's team). Next up the Crusaders (the top NZ side) tomorrow so it doesn't get any easier. Meanwhile walking rugby is going well but we are struggling to get volunteers for our Groundforce Day (sprucing up the clubhouse and grounds) tomorrow.

The Project
I currently have three people reviewing the content of the new book and the silence is deafening! Should I start to worry as it's due to the publishers by the end of the month!

When things start to get difficult on a project it is sometimes tempting to abandon the way. A poor project manager will try to use pressure to influence events, but the harder he tries, the worse things will get. When we try to interfere with nature, nothing works right. Things start to go wrong, the project team becomes disillusioned and the project ends up failing. We need to recognise that power comes from the natural order of things. Natural events are potent because they act in accordance with how things work. They simply are.  

The Way  
On a project we are all team players. Success comes through co-operation and providing a service to others. Therefore the wise project manager is not self-centred; he nurtures the team, co-operates with them and is their servant. Potency comes from knowing what is happening and acting accordingly. Freedom comes from obedience to the natural order. This way the project progresses, the team is happy and the project is in harmony with nature.

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

Of old these arise from the one:  
The sky was able to be pure,  
The earth was able to be tranquil,  
The spirits were able to be spiritual,  
The valley was able to be abundant,  
The ten thousand things were able to be alive,  
And the rulers were able to lead.  
All these came about.  

If the sky was not pure it would split open,  
If the earth was not tranquil it would erupt,  
If the spirits were not spiritual they would vanish,  
If the valley was not abundance it would wither,  
If the ten thousand things were not alive they would be extinct,  
If the rulers did not lead they would be toppled.  

Therefore cheap is the root of expensive,  
Low is the root of high.  
The rulers consider themselves alone, bereft and unworthy,  
Fail to use worthless as their root.  Is it not so?  
The substance of the vehicle is not the vehicle.  
Do not wish to be shiny like jade,  
Be dull like rock.