| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: alive again. It is like the difference between looking on a
person without love, or upon the same person with love. In the
latter case intercourse springs into new vitality. So when one's
affections keep in touch with the divinity of the world's
authorship, fear and egotism fall away; and in the equanimity
that follows, one finds in the hours, as they succeed each other,
a series of purely benignant opportunities. It is as if all
doors were opened, and all paths freshly smoothed. We meet a new
world when we meet the old world in the spirit which this kind of
prayer infuses.
Such a spirit was that of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.[318] It
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: better judge than any Maclaren in Balquhidder: for it's a God's
truth that you're a very creditable piper for a Stewart. Hand me
the pipes." Alan did as he asked; and Robin proceeded to imitate
and correct some part of Alan's variations, which it seemed that
he remembered perfectly.
"Ay, ye have music," said Alan, gloomily.
"And now be the judge yourself, Mr. Stewart," said Robin; and
taking up the variations from the beginning, he worked them
throughout to so new a purpose, with such ingenuity and
sentiment, and with so odd a fancy and so quick a knack in the
grace-notes, that I was amazed to hear him.
Kidnapped |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Under the Andes by Rex Stout: The eyes were closed, leaving but a vague mark for our spears,
and besides, there was the danger of striking Desiree. We were
barely able to keep pace with the thing as it receded swiftly down
the broad passage. Desiree had twisted her body half round, and
her face was turned toward us, shadowy as a ghost. Then her head
fell forward and hung loosely and her lips were silent. She had
fainted.
The thing moved swifter than ever; we were barely able to keep
up with it. Harry made a desperate leap forward.
I cried out a warning, but one of the writhing tentacles swept
against him and knocked him to the ground. He was up again on the
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