| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: on Mrs. Jennings's going away, remained fixed at the table
where Elinor wrote, watching the advancement of her pen,
grieving over her for the hardship of such a task,
and grieving still more fondly over its effect on her mother.
In this manner they had continued about a quarter
of an hour, when Marianne, whose nerves could not then
bear any sudden noise, was startled by a rap at the door.
"Who can this be?" cried Elinor. "So early too! I
thought we HAD been safe."
Marianne moved to the window--
"It is Colonel Brandon!" said she, with vexation.
Sense and Sensibility |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce: . . . Aim! . . . Fire!"
Fahrquhar dived -- dived as deeply as he could. The water
roared in his ears like the voice of Niagara, yet he heard
the dull thunder of the volley and, rising again toward the
surface, met shining bits of metal, singularly flattened,
oscillating slowly downward. Some of them touched him on the
face and hands, then fell away, continuing their descent.
One lodged between his collar and neck; it was uncomfortably
warm and he snatched it out.
As he rose to the surface, gasping for breath, he saw that he
had been a long time under water; he was perceptibly farther
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: back to the green earth and slumbering Lily-Bell.
The silvery moonlight shone upon her, as he came to give his second
gift; and the Brownie spoke more kindly than before.
"One more trial, Thistle, and she will awake. Go bravely forth and
win your last and hardest gift."
Then with a light heart Thistle journeyed away to the brooks and
rivers, seeking the Water Spirits. But he looked in vain; till,
wandering through the forest where the Brownies took him captive,
he stopped beside the quiet lake.
As he stood here he heard a sound of pain, and, looking in the tall
grass at his side, he saw the dragon-fly whose kindness he once
Flower Fables |
