And if you can't shape your life the way you want, at least try as much as you can not to degrade it.
Interpretation
Strive to improve your life even if you can't control everything.
This quote by C.P. Cavafy emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for our lives. While we may not have full control over our circumstances, we should actively strive to avoid negative actions that would degrade our quality of life, suggesting that maintaining integrity and a sense of purpose is essential.
In practice
In a motivational talk about personal development.
Give me artificial flowers - porcelain and metal glories - neither fading nor decaying, forms unaging. Flowers of the splendid gardens of another place, where Forms and Styles and Knowledge dwell. I love flowers made of glass or gold, true Art's true gifts, their painted hues more beautiful than nature's, worked in nacre and enamel, with perfect leaves and branches.
When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Don’t mourn your luck that’s failing now, work gone wrong, your plans all proving deceptive — don’t mourn them uselessly. As one long prepared, and graced with courage, say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving. Above all, don’t fool yourself, don’t say it was a dream, your ears deceived you: don’t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.
To certain people there comes a day when they must say the great Yes or the great No.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what these Ithacas mean.
Thus we arrive at the singular conclusion that of all the information passed by our cultural assets it is precisely the elements which might be of the greatest importance to us and which have the task of solving the riddles of the universe and of reconciling us to the sufferings of life -- it is precisely those elements that are the least well authenticated of any.
If the reporter has killed our imagination with his truth, he threatens our life with his lies.
To live in the Great Way is neither easy nor difficult, but those with limited views are fearful and irresolute: the faster they hurry, the slower they go, and clinging cannot be limited: even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray. Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going. Obey the nature of things (your own nature), and you will walk freely and undisturbed.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren't interested in changing their opinions to agree with God's.
Life ceases to be so oppressive: we are free to give our own lives meaning and purpose, free to redeem our suffering by making something of it.
Fighting aging is like the War on Drugs. It's expensive, does more harm than good, and has been proven to never end.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.