| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: best. Such being my creed, I begin with service rendered to the gods;
and strive to regulate my conduct so that grace may be given me, in
answer to my prayers, to attain to health, and strength of body,
honour in my own city, goodwill among my friends, safety with renown
in war, and of riches increase, won without reproach.
[6] "The gods have made well-doing and well-being a thing impossible."
Cf. "Mem." III. ix. 7, 14.
I, when I heard these words, replied: And are you then indeed so
careful to grow rich, Ischomachus?--amassing wealth but to gain
endless trouble in its management?
Most certainly (replied Ischomachus), and most careful must I needs be
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: I say; they have tortured you. It's an outrage, and I insist
upon saving you from the extravagance of your own generosity.
Would you chop off your hand if your mother requested it?"
Madame de Cintre looked a little frightened. "I spoke of my mother
too blindly, the other day. I am my own mistress, by law and by
her approval. She can do nothing to me; she has done nothing.
She has never alluded to those hard words I used about her."
"She has made you feel them, I'll promise you!" said Newman.
"It's my conscience that makes me feel them."
"Your conscience seems to me to be rather mixed!"
exclaimed Newman, passionately.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain: Freundschaftsbezeigungen.
Dilettantenaufdringlichkeiten.
Stadtverordnetenversammlungen.
These things are not words, they are alphabetical processions.
And they are not rare; one can open a German newspaper
at any time and see them marching majestically across
the page--and if he has any imagination he can see
the banners and hear the music, too. They impart
a martial thrill to the meekest subject. I take a
great interest in these curiosities. Whenever I come
across a good one, I stuff it and put it in my museum.
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