| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy: The people gathered around him, and Ivan continued throwing until
he emptied his bag. They clamored for more, but Ivan replied:
"The gold is all gone. Another time I will give you more. Now
we will r‚sum‚ our singing and dancing."
The little children sang, but Ivan said to them, "Your songs are
no good."
The children said, "Then show us how to sing better."
To this Ivan replied, "I will show you people who can sing better
than you." With that remark Ivan went to the barn and, securing
a bundle of straw, did as the little devil had directed him; and
presently a regiment of soldiers appeared in the village street,
The Kreutzer Sonata |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: On his way to the shore, Ulysses had the good luck to kill a
large stag by thrusting his spear into his back. Taking it on
his shoulders (for he was a remarkably strong man), he lugged
it along with him, and flung it down before his hungry
companions. I have already hinted to you what gormandizers some
of the comrades of King Ulysses were. From what is related of
them, I reckon that their favorite diet was pork, and that they
had lived upon it until a good part of their physical substance
was swine's flesh, and their tempers and dispositions were very
much akin to the hog. A dish of venison, however, was no
unacceptable meal to them, especially after feeding so long on
Tanglewood Tales |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: grant, that where a noble and ancient descent and such merit meet in
any man, it is a double dignification of that person; so if this antiquity
of angling, which for my part I have not forced, shall, like an ancient
family, be either an honour, or an ornament to this virtuous art which I
profess to love and practice, I shall be the gladder that I made an
accidental mention of the antiquity of it, of which I shall say no more,
but proceed to that just commendation which I think it deserves.
And for that, I shall tell you, that in ancient times a debate hath risen,
and it remains yet unresolved, whether the happiness of man in this
world doth consist more in contemplation or action? Concerning which,
some have endeavoured to maintain their opinion of the first; by saying,
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