| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: saw them, by the help of my glasses, hoist another boat out and row
towards the shore; and we found, as they approached, that there
were no less than ten men in her, and that they had firearms with
them.
As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full
view of them as the came, and a plain sight even of their faces;
because the tide having set them a little to the east of the other
boat, they rowed up under shore, to come to the same place where
the other had landed, and where the boat lay; by this means, I say,
we had a full view of them, and the captain knew the persons and
characters of all the men in the boat, of whom, he said, there were
Robinson Crusoe |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Just Folks by Edgar A. Guest: And the joy that lasts the longest and still lingers when we're old
Is no dim and distant pleasure--it is not to-morrow's prize,
It is not the end of toiling, or the rainbdw of our sighs.
It' is every day within us--all the rest is hippodrome--
And the soul that is the gladdest is the soul that builds a home.
They are fools who build for glory! They are fools who pin their hopes
On the come and go of battles or some vessel's slender ropes.
They shall sicken and shall wither and shall never peace attain
Who believe that real contentment only men victorious gain.
For the only happy toilers under earth's majestic dome
Are the ones who find their glories in the little spot called home.
Just Folks |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: Barely had I left that chamber of death, when--but too late--the following
extraordinary letter was received:
OFFICE OF THE M. of M., February 17, 1900.
MR. EBEN HALE, Money Baron:
Dear Sir,--You will pardon our intrusion, we hope, so closely upon the sad
event of day before yesterday; but what we wish to say may be of the utmost
importance to you. It is in our mind that you may attempt to escape us. There
is but one way, apparently, as you have ere this doubtless discovered. But we
wish to inform you that even this one way is barred. You may die, but you die
failing and acknowledging your failure. Note this: WE ARE PART AND PARCEL OF
YOUR POSSESSIONS. WITH YOUR MILLIONS WE PASS DOWN TO YOUR HEIRS AND ASSIGNS
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