One ship drives east and another drives west With the selfsame winds that blow. Tis the set of the sails And not the gales Which tells us the way to go. Like the winds of the seas are the ways of fate, As we voyage along through the life: Tis the set of a soul That decides its goal, And not the calm or the strife.
Interpretation
The direction of our lives is determined by our choices, not by external circumstances.
This quote emphasizes that while we encounter the same challenges and opportunities in life, it is our own decisions and mindset that ultimately shape our journey. Just as two ships can sail in different directions with the same wind, individuals can navigate their paths through life based on their intentions and goals, regardless of the circumstances they face.
In practice
A motivational speaker might use this quote to inspire an audience about personal responsibility.
Sweep up the debris of decaying faith; _x000D_ Sweep down the cobwebs of worn-out out beliefs, _x000D_ And throw your soul wide open to the light of reason and of knowledge. _x000D_ Be not afraid _x000D_ To thrust aside half-truths and grasp the whole.
I am the voice of the voiceless; Through me the dumb shall speak. Till the deaf world's ears be made to hear. The wrongs of the wordless weak. And I am my brothers keeper, And I will fight his fights; And speak the words for beast and bird. Till the world shall set things right.
A weed is but an unloved flower.
So many gods, so many creeds, so many paths that wind and wind while just the art of being kind is all the sad world needs.
'Tis easy enough to be pleasant, When life flows along like a song; But the man worth while is the one who will smile when everything goes dead wrong.
Do you wish the world were happy? Then remember day by day, just to scatter seeds of kindness as you pass along the way. . . .
Our life is...a time in which sadness and joy kiss each other at every moment.
The whole play of existence is so beautiful that laughter can be the only response to it. Only laughter can be the real prayer, gratitude.
Daily dawns another day; I must up, to make my way. Though I dress and drink and eat, Move my fingers and my feet, Learn a little, here and there, Weep and laugh and sweat and swear, Hear a song, or watch a stage, Leave some words upon a page, Claim a foe, or hail a friend- Bed awaits me at the end.
There is a part of me that will forever want to be walking under autumn leaves, carrying a briefcase containing the works of Shakespeare and Yeats and a portable chess set. I will pass an old tree under which once on a summer night I lay on the grass with a fragrant young woman and we quoted e.e. cummings back and forth.
All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.
As I descended into impassable rivers I no longer felt guided by the ferrymen.
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