| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Reminiscences of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy: MY FATHER'S WILL. CONCLUSION
ALTHOUGH my father had long since renounced the copyright in all
his works written after 1883, and although, after having made all
his real estate over to his children, he had, as a matter of fact,
no property left, still he could not but be aware that his life was
far from corresponding to his principles, and this consciousness
perpetually preyed upon his mind. One has only to read some of his
posthumous works attentively to see that the idea of leaving home
and radically altering his whole way of life had presented itself
to him long since and was a continual temptation to him.
This was the cherished dream that always allured him, but
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: an old monkey, and nodded now and again very solemnly. Her hands shook as
she raised her beer mug, and when she had drunk she spat on the floor and
savagely wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Then the music started and she
followed Theresa with her eyes, looking suspiciously at each man who danced
with her.
"Cheer up, old woman," shouted her husband, digging her in the ribs; "this
isn't Theresa's funeral." He winked at the guests, who broke into loud
laughter.
"I AM cheerful," mumbled the old woman, and beat upon the table with her
fist, keeping time to the music, proving she was not out of the
festivities.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: was no offence. The letter," he added, in a low voice, "which you
received, and which you must have thought extremely unbecoming, was
not intended for you."
The marquise could not help smiling, though she wished to seem
offended.
"Why deceive?" she said, with a disdainful air, although the tones of
her voice were gentle. "Now that I have duly scolded you, I am willing
to laugh at a subterfuge which is not without cleverness. I know many
women who would be taken in by it: 'Heavens! how he loves me!' they
would say."
Here the marquise gave a forced laugh, and then added, in a tone of
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