He that will enjoy the brightness of sunshine, must quit the coolness of the shade.
Interpretation
To experience joy and success, one must be willing to leave their comfort zone.
This quote emphasizes the necessity of stepping out of one's comfort zone to experience the positive aspects of life. Samuel Johnson suggests that in order to enjoy the brighter, more rewarding moments (the sunshine), an individual must be willing to leave behind the comforting yet limiting situations (the coolness of the shade) they are accustomed to. It speaks to the idea that personal growth and happiness often require sacrifice and the courage to embrace change.
In practice
During a graduation speech, a speaker might use this quote to encourage students to embrace new opportunities.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
Now this relaxation of the mind from work consists on playful words or deeds. Therefore it becomes a wise and virtuous man to have recourse to such things at times.
The most important thing is insight, that is to be - curious - to wonder, to mull, and to muse why it is that man does what he does.
Forgive yourself for not being at peace.
Every person you meet has a lesson to teach, a story to tell and a dream to share.
The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.
So the Dark did a simple thing. They showed the maker of the sword his own uncertainty and fear. Fear of having done the wrong thing--fear that having done this one great thing, he would never again be able to accomplish anything of great worth--fear of age, of insufficiency, of unmet promise. All such great fears, that are the doom of people given the gift of making, and lie always somewhere in their minds.
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