Tis not, 'my country right or wrong'; tis, 'my country, that which is right to be kept right, that which is wrong to be set right'
Carl SchurzRead
Ideals are like the stars: we never reach them, but like the mariners of the sea, we chart our course by them.
Interpretation
Ideals guide us, even if we can't fully attain them.
This quote by Carl Schurz uses the metaphor of stars to illustrate how ideals serve as guiding principles in our lives. Although we may never fully reach these ideals, they help us navigate our choices and direction, much like sailors rely on stars to find their way across the ocean.
In practice
This quote can be used in a motivational speech to inspire people to set high goals.
When you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer.
Your best ideas, those eureka moments that turn the world upside down, seldom come when you're juggling emails, rushing to meet the 5 P.M. deadline or straining to make your voice heard in a high-stress meeting. They come when you're walking the dog, soaking in the bath or swinging in a hammock.
If we can't face our losses, we can't be present either fully to everything that is. When people have cut off or not made peace with some part of themselves, they miss out on other aspects of life.
The starting point of discovering who you are, your gifts, your talents, your dreams, is being comfortable with yourself. Spend time alone. Write in a journal. Take long walks in the woods.
I know the compassion of others is a relief at first. I don't despise it. But it can't quench pain, it slips through your soul as through a sieve. And when our suffering has been dragged from one pity to another, as from one mouth to another, we can no longer respect or love it.
When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.
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