Perseverance and resilience

What it means

Every large undertaking begins with something small and immediate. The first step matters less for how far it takes you than for the fact that it starts the journey.

Translations vary; a more literal rendering is “a thousand-mile journey starts from beneath your feet”.

About the author

Laozi — Ancient Chinese philosopher associated with Taoism.

Source and verification

Source

Tao Te Ching, ch. 64

Reference

Laozi on Wikiquote

Checked

Wording and source checked against the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page (accessed 2026-10-11).

Copyright

Public domain: an ancient work.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.