Sun Tzu wrote, We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy. Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood of valleys.

This sounds tactical, even geographic — move here, avoid there — but hidden in it is a timeless truth about navigating challenge: move smart, stay aware, and never let the terrain decide your fate.

Mountains are heavy, slow, draining. Valleys are steady, grounded, full of resources. Sun Tzu is saying: don’t camp where movement is hard and vision is limited. Don’t stay in places that sap your strength. Pass over difficulty fast, but settle near stability. That’s not just good war strategy — that’s good life strategy.

Every day, you’re moving through landscapes — emotional, mental, financial, relational. Some places are meant for passing through, not living in. Pain? Pass through it. Stress? Pass through it. Chaos? Pass through it. Don’t set up camp in misery. Don’t pitch a tent in bitterness. Keep moving until you reach ground that feeds you, supports you, gives you what you need to keep going.

But moving smart isn’t enough — you’ve got to observe. Sun Tzu ties movement with awareness: encamp strategically, but always keep an eye on signs of the enemy. That means pay attention to the subtle shifts, the small warnings, the things other people miss. The world doesn’t shout every threat — sometimes it whispers them. A quiet decline in discipline. A new temptation that seems harmless. A partner, a friend, a teammate whose tone shifts ever so slightly. If you’re watching, you see the moves before they become attacks.

Being alert isn’t paranoia — it’s power. It’s knowing that you’re not just walking through terrain; you’re walking through contested terrain. Life will throw obstacles, competitors, distractions. Some are direct enemies. Others are just natural friction. Either way, if you’re paying attention, you keep control of where and how you fight.

And that’s the real point: don’t let the terrain fight you. Use it. Don’t let fatigue set the pace. Control it. Don’t let your environment decide your energy. You decide your position, your supply, your timing.

Right now, ask yourself: are you camped on a mountain — tired, struggling, wondering why progress feels impossible? Maybe it’s not your strength that’s the problem; maybe it’s your position. Move. Reposition where you can breathe, refuel, see clearly, strike when you’re ready.

Life is not just about charging ahead; it’s about where you stop, where you look, where you listen. The wrong camp drains you. The right one sustains you. And you get to choose.

So move smart. Pass through hardship — don’t live in it. Stay close to resources. Watch carefully for signs of change, threat, or opportunity. And when the time comes to march, you’ll move with clarity, with strength, and with the quiet power of someone who knows exactly where they are, and exactly where they’re going.

That’s how armies survive. That’s how leaders win. And that’s how you move through life — like a strategist, not just a soldier.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Email us at [email protected]