I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters.
James A. MichenerRead
The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.
Interpretation
True mastery in life involves blending work and play seamlessly.
In this quote, James A. Michener reflects on the idea that a true master of living does not compartmentalize different aspects of life such as work and play, or mind and body. Instead, they integrate these elements into a unified experience, pursuing excellence in all endeavors without the need for others to label them as either work or leisure. This perspective highlights the importance of passion and commitment in achieving a fulfilling life.
In practice
During a motivational speech about finding balance in life.
I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters.
Whenever I start a book, I swear it's going to be a short one. But then it's, 'Who was his grandfather? And how did he get there in the first place? And what kind of animals is he chasing?'
Rampaging horsemen can conquer; only the city can civilize.
I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody else does is of no concern whatever except as an interesting variation.
If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.
I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.
In this world of numbness and information overload, the ability to feel, my boy, is a rare gift indeed.
Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman round the corner.
Let no thought pass incognito, and keep your notebook as strictly as the authorities keep their register of aliens.
Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.
Discipline, it has been suggested, is the means of human spiritual evolution. What provides the motive, the energy for discipline? This force I believe to be love. I define love thus: The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.
If your everyday practice is open to all your emotions, to all the people you meet, to all the situations you encounter, without closing down, trusting that you can do that - then that will take you are far as you can go. And then you'll understand all the teachings that anyone has ever taught.
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