O suffering, sad humanity! O ye afflicted ones, who lie Steeped to the lips in misery, Longing, yet afraid to die, Patient, though sorely tried!
Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRead
Trust no future, however pleasant! Let the dead past bury its dead! Act -- act in the living Present! Heart within and God overhead.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present and letting go of the past while being cautious of future expectations.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's quote encourages individuals to focus on the present moment rather than wasting time on regrets from the past or unrealistic hopes for the future. It underscores the necessity of action in the 'living Present' and highlights the duality of relying on inner strength while trusting in a higher power.
In practice
During a motivational speech about overcoming struggles, to emphasize the importance of focusing on what we can do today.
O suffering, sad humanity! O ye afflicted ones, who lie Steeped to the lips in misery, Longing, yet afraid to die, Patient, though sorely tried!
There are moments in life, when the heart is so full of emotion That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together.
Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.
To be seventy years old is like climbing the Alps. You reach a snow-crowned summit, and see behind you the deep valley stretching miles and miles away, and before you other summits higher and whiter, which you may have strength to climb, or may not. Then you sit down and meditate and wonder which it will be.
God is not dead; nor doth He sleep; ... _x000D_ The wrong shall fail,_x000D_ The right prevail,_x000D_ With peace on earth, good will to men.
In the long run men hit only what they aim at.
The only antidote to dangerous ideas is strong alternatives vigorously advocated.
It is his capacity for self-improvement and self-redemption which most distinguishes man from the mere brute.
They think old people are lame. But they're not. They're awesome, & I know exactly why I think so. It's because they've lived entire lifetimes. Loved. Laughed. Surrendered. Stumbled. Weathered, beaten, still they don't crumble, not even as they inch toward death.
When I was a child, adults would tell me not to make things up, warning me of what would happen if I did. As far as I can tell so far, it seems to involve lots of foreign travel and not having to get up too early in the morning.
That which hurts, also instructs.
Let us not paralyze our capacity for good by brooding of man's capacity for evil.
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