None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.
Interpretation
Strive for a purpose beyond mere goodness; aim to contribute positively to the world.
This quote encourages individuals to look beyond conventional notions of morality and to pursue a deeper purpose. Thoreau suggests that simply being good is not enough; one should also aim to be good for a meaningful cause, emphasizing the importance of active engagement and contribution to society.
In practice
In a motivational speech about community service.
None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
That grand old poem called Winter
When the human organism is discharging its negative experience efficiently, the mind is empty of past or future concerns; there is no worry, anticipation, or regret. This means that the mind is left open to Being, the simplest state of awareness.
Also, it's good to have more than one profession, in case your own profession goes out of style. A Wall Street trader who's also a belly dancer will do a lot better than a trader who winds up driving a taxi.
Many people think of perfectionism as striving to be your best, but it is not about self-improvement; it's about earning approval and acceptance.
Never complain and never explain.
She loved the teachings of the Five Visions. Humility. Sacrifice. Seeing another's problems before your own. Yet she was beginning to think that she-- along with others-- had taken this belief too far, letting her desire to seem humble become a form of pride itself. She now saw that when her faith had become about clothing instead of people, it had taken a wrong turn.
It is the privilege of genius that life never grows common place, as it does for the rest of us.
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