Turn away from the crowd and its fruitful pursuit of fame and gold.
Never look back as you close your door to the sorry tumult of greed and ambition.
Wipe away your tears of failure and misfortune. Lay aside your heavy
load and rest until your heart is still. Be at peace. Already,
it is later than you think, for your earthly life, at best, is only the
blink of an eye between two eternities. Be unafraid. Nothing
here can harm you except yourself. Do that which you dread and cherish
those victories with pride. Concentrate your energy. To be everywhere
is to be nowhere. Be jealous of your time, since it is your greatest
treasure. Reconsider your goals. Before you set your heart too
much on anything, examine how happy they are who already
possess what you desire. Love your family and count your blessings.
Reflect on how eagerly they would be sought if you did not have them.
Put aside your impossible dreams and complete the task at hand no matter how
distasteful. All great achievements come from working and waiting.
Be patient. God's delays are never God's denials. Hold on.
Hold fast. Know that your paymaster is always near. What you sow,
good or evil, that you will reap. Never blame your condition on others.
You are what you are through your choice alone. Learn to live with
honest poverty, if you must, and turn to more important matters than transporting
gold to your grave. Never meet trouble halfway. Anxiety is the
rust of life; when you add tomorrow's burdens to today's their weight becomes
unbearable. Avoid the mourner's bench and give thanks, instead, for
your defeats. You would not received them if you did not need them.
Always learn from others. He who teaches himself has a fool for a master.
Be careful. Do not overload your conscience. Conduct your life
as if it were spent in an arena filled with tattlers. Avoid breasting.
If you see anything in you that puffs you with pride look closer and you
will find more than enough to make you humble. Be wise. Realize
that all men are not created equal, for there is no equality in nature, yet
no man was ever born whose work was not born with him. Work everyday
as if it were your first, yet tenderly treat the lives you touch as if they
will all end at midnight. Love everyone, even those who deny you, for
hate is a luxury you cannot afford. Seek out those in need. Learn
that he who delivers in one hand will always gather with two. Be of
good cheer. Above all, remember that very little is needed to make
a happy life. Look up. Reach out. Cling simply to God and
journey quietly on your pathway to forever
with charity and smile.
When you depart it will be said by all that your legacy was a better world
than the one you found.
- Og Mandino, "The Gift of Acabar"
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