| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Art of War by Sun Tzu: 8. The stronger men will be in front, the jaded ones will
fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth of your army will
reach its destination.
[The moral is, as Ts`ao Kung and others point out: Don't
march a hundred LI to gain a tactical advantage, either with or
without impedimenta. Maneuvers of this description should be
confined to short distances. Stonewall Jackson said: "The
hardships of forced marches are often more painful than the
dangers of battle." He did not often call upon his troops for
extraordinary exertions. It was only when he intended a
surprise, or when a rapid retreat was imperative, that he
The Art of War |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories by Mark Twain: to the remains of the red man's hut: he surveyed with wonder and
astonishment the decayed building, which time had buried in the dust,
and thought to himself, his happiness was not yet complete.
Beside the shore of the brook sat a young man, about eighteen or twenty,
who seemed to be reading some favorite book, and who had a remarkably
noble countenance--eyes which betrayed more than a common mind.
This of course made the youth a welcome guest, and gained him
friends in whatever condition of life he might be placed.
The traveler observed that he was a well-built figure, which showed
strength and grace in every movement. He accordingly addressed
him in quite a gentlemanly manner, and inquired of him the way
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: wind, the darkness he knew; he understood the
bleating of the sheep, and he remembered the pain
of his wretchedness and misery, his heartbroken as-
tonishment that it was neither seen nor understood,
his dismay at finding all the men angry and all the
women fierce. He had approached them as a beg-
gar, it is true, he said; but in his country, even if
they gave nothing, they spoke gently to beggars.
The children in his country were not taught to
throw stones at those who asked for compassion.
Smith's strategy overcame him completely. The
Amy Foster |
