Words To Live By - Thoughts To Ponder

The Success Networks
A Compendium of Words to Live By,
Thoughts to Ponder and Ideas to Share

By Michael E. Angier

I’ve been collecting quotations and inspirational poems and
stories for over 25 years. Words well written, deeds well done
and lives well lived have always inspired me.
Many of the following messages have been previously published in
Success Strategies and we share them again in the hopes they will have as
much meaning for you as they have to so many others.
Some of these writings are old and may have been attributed to
different people. We’ve done the best we can to properly source them.
If you know for sure that they are not properly attributed, please let us
know.
Feel free to share this collection with others.
—Michael E. Angier

To see thousands of inspiring quotations,
visit http://www. SuccessNet.org/library.htm


Copyright © MM
Success Networks International, Inc. and Michael E. Angier
This document may be reprinted and shared as long as it is not altered in any way
and contains all contact and copyright information. It may not be sold.
Success Networks International
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Michael Angier is the founder and president of Success Networks International,
publishers of Success Strategies, Insight and Success Digest. Success Net is an association
committed to helping people be more knowledgeable, productive and effective. Their
mission is to inform, inspire and empower people to be their best—personally and
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are available at http://www.SuccessNet.org


Good Enough
My child, beware of “good enough,”
It isn’t made of sterling stuff;
It’s something anyone can do;
It marks the many from the few.
The flaw which may escape the eye
And temporarily get by
Shall weaken underneath the strain
And wreck the ship, the car or plane.
With “good enough,” the car breaks down,
And one falls short of high renown.
My child, remember and be wise,
In “good enough,” disaster lies.
With “good enough,” the failures rest
And lose the one who gives the best.
Who stops at “good enough” shall find
Success has left them far behind.
For this is true of you and your stuff—
Only the best is “good enough.”
—author unknown


Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
measure.
It is our Light, not our darkness, that most
frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does
not serve the World.
There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so
that other people won’t feel unsure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God
that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine; we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear; our
presence automatically liberates others.
—Marianne Williamson


Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in
silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare
yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be
greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your
plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world
is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons
strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for
in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress
yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a
wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a
right to be here. And whether or not is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding
as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever
your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your
soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be
careful. Strive to be happy.
—Max Ehrmann, 1927


Who Am I?
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,
And I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done,
And after a few lessons I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great men
And, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though
I work with all the precision of a machine
Plus the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin;
It makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me
And I will put the world at your feet.
Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.
Who am I?
I am habit!
—author unknown


The Man in the Glass
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
He’s the fellow to please—never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
—author unknown
The use of the male gender is acknowledged.
We chose not to alter the poem to make it politically correct.
Thanks for letting it be.


Attitudes
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude
on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than
education, than money, than circumstances, than failures,
than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It
is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It
will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable
thing is we have a choice every day regarding the
attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact
that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the
inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one
string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced
that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to
it.
And so it is with you . . . we are in charge of our
Attitudes.”
—Charles Swindoll



Don’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a person turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick in the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worse,
That you must not quit.
—author unknown


Live Each Day to the Fullest
Live each day to the fullest. Get the most from each hour,
each day, and each age of your life. Then you can look forward
with confidence and back without regrets. Be yourself, but be
your best self. Dare to be different and to follow your star. And
don’t be afraid to be happy. Enjoy what is beautiful. Love with
all your heart and soul. Believe that those whom you love, love
you. Forget what you have done for your friends, and
remember what they have done for you. Disregard what the
world owes you, and concentrate on what you owe the world.
When you are faced with a decision, make that decision as
wisely as possible—then forget it. The moment of absolute certainty
never arrives. Above all, remember that God helps those
who help themselves. Act as if everything depended on you and
pray as if everything depended on God.
—author unknown


Excellence
Excellence is never an accident. It is achieved in an organization or institution
only as a result of an unrelenting and vigorous insistence on the
highest standards of performance. It requires an unswerving expectancy of
quality from the staff and volunteers.
Excellence is contagious. It infects and affects everyone in the organization.
It charts the direction of a program. It establishes the criteria for planning.
It provides zest and vitality to the organization. Once achieved, excellence
has a talent for permeating every aspect of the life of the organization.
Excellence demands commitment and a tenacious dedication from the
leadership of the organization. Once it is accepted and expected, it must be
nourished and continually reviewed and renewed. It is a never-ending process
of learning and growing. It requires a spirit of motivation and boundless energy.
It is always the result of a creatively conceived and precisely planned effort.
Excellence inspires; it electrifies. It potentializes every phase of the organization’s
life. It unleashes an impact which influences every program,
every activity, every committee, every staff person. To instill it in an organization
is difficult; to sustain it, even more so. It demands imagination and
vigor. But most of all, it requires from the leadership a constant state of selfdiscovery
and discipline.
Excellence is an organization’s life-line. It is the most compelling answer
to apathy and inertia. It energizes a stimulating and pulsating force.
Once it becomes the expected standard of performance, it develops a fiercely
driving and motivating philosophy of operation. Excellence is a state of mind
put into action. It is a road-map to success. When a climate of excellence exists,
all things—staff work, volunteer leadership, finances, program—come
easier.
Excellence in an organization is important—because it is everything.
—author unknown

The Touch of the Master’s Hand
’Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer thought it barely worth his while
To spend much time with the old violin, but he held it up with a smile:
“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried, “Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar? A dollar”; then, “Two! Only two? Two dollars, who’ll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; going for three-” But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man came forward and picked up
the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet as a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two? Two thousand!
And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, and going, and gone,” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried, “‘We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?” Swift came the reply: “‘The touch of a master’s hand.”
And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin.
A “mess of potage,” a glass of wine; a game—and he travels on.
He is “going” once, and “going” twice, he’s “going” and almost “gone.”
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.
—Myra Brooks Welch


Story of a Failure
Mother died, ’18
Lost job, ’32
Defeated for legislature, ’32
Failed in business, ’33
Elected to legislature, ’34
Sweetheart died, ’35
Suffered nervous breakdown, ’36
Marriage proposal rejected, ’37
Defeated for speaker of the house, ’38
Married, ’42
Defeated for nomination to Congress, ’43
Elected to Congress, ’46
Lost renomination, ’48
Rejected for land officer, ’49
Son died, ’50
Defeated for Senate, ’54
Defeated for nomination for vice president, ’56
Defeated for Senate again, ’58
But in 1860, at the age of 51, Abraham
Lincoln was elected president of the United States



Emerson and Thoreau on Success
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent
people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of
honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate
beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a
bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed
social condition; to know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,
and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will
meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will
put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new,
universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves
around and within him; or old laws will be expanded
and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he
will live with a license of a higher order of beings.”
—Henry David Thoreau


The Uncommon Man
I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.
I seek opportunity, not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled
and dulled by having the state look after
me. I want to take the calculated risk, to
dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.
I prefer the challenges of life to a guaranteed
existence, the thrill of fulfillment to the
stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence,
nor dignity for a handout. It is my heritage
to think and to act for myself, enjoy the
benefit of my creations, and to face the
world boldly and say, "With God's help, this
I have done."
—author unknown


Anything Is Possible
If there was ever a time to dare,
to make a difference, to embark on
something worth doing, IT IS
NOW.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily
. . .
but for something that tugs at your
heart, something that's your inspiration,
something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself to make
your days here count.
HAVE FUN, DIG DEEP,
STRETCH.
DREAM BIG.
Know, though, that things worth
doing seldom come easy.
There will be good days. And there
will be bad days.
There will be times when you want
to turn around, pack it up,
and call it quits.
Those times tell you that you are
pushing yourself, that you are not
afraid to learn by trying.
PERSIST.
Because with an idea, determination,
and the right tools, you can
do great things.
Let your instincts, your intellect,
and your heart, guide you.
TRUST.
Believe in the incredible power of
the human mind.
Of doing something that makes a
difference.
Of working hard.
Of laughing and hoping.
Of lazy afternoons.
Of lasting friends.
Of all the things that will cross
your path this year.
The start of something new brings
the hope of something great,
Anything is Possible.
—author unknown


Changing The World
When I was a young man, I wanted to change the
world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I
tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't
change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I
couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to
change my family.
Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can
change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago
I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on
my family. My family and I could have made an impact
on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation
and I could indeed have changed the world.
—unknown monk, 1100A.D.

The Victor
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
—C.W. Longenecker

Happiness
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married,
have a baby, then another. Then we’re frustrated that the kids
aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After
that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will
certainly be happy when they’re out of that stage. We tell ourselves
that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act
together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation,
when we retire. The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy
than right now. If not now, when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit
this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite
quotes comes from Alfred D. Souza. He said, “For a long time it
had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there
was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten
through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a
debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me
that these obstacles were my life.” This perspective has helped me
to see that there is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have
and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special,
special enough to spend your time . . . and remember that time
waits for no one. So, stop waiting. There’s no better time than
right now to be happy.
—author unknown

How Do You Live Your Dash?
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her
tombstone
From the beginning . . . to the end
He noted that first came her date of
birth
And spoke the following date with
tears,
But he said what mattered most
of all
Was the dash between the years.
(1934-1998)
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth . . .
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we
own;
The cars. . . the house . . . the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard,
Are there things you’d like to
change?
For you never know how much time
is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile . . .
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy’s being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
. . .
Would you be proud of the things
they say
About how you spent your dash?
—author unknown

What It Takes To Be Number One
Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win
once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the
time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and
that’s first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t
ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game
for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in
anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.
Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he’s got to play from the
ground up—from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to
play. Some guys play with their heads. That’s OK. You’ve got to be smart to be
number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your
heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot
of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.
Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization—
an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same.
The object is to win—to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I
don’t think it is.
It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games
draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there—to compete. To know
the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly,
squarely, by the rules—but to win.
And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run,
deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something
in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head-tohead
combat.
I don’t say these things because I believe in the “brute” nature of man or that
men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human
decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour—his greatest fulfillment to
all he holds dear—is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause
and he’s exhausted on the field of battle—victorious.
—Vince Lombardi

The Integrity Of A Smile
It costs nothing, but creates much.
It enriches those who receive without
impoverishing those who give.
It happens in a flash, and the memory of
it sometimes lasts forever.
None are so rich they can get along without
it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.
It creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill
in a business, and is the countersign of friends.
It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad, and nature's best antidote
for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen,
for it is something that is no earthly good to anyone
until it is given away.
And if in the course of the day some of your friends
should be too tired to give you a smile, why don't
you give them one of yours?
For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have
none left to give!
—author unknown

Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the full clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
—William Ernest Henley

No Easy Road
If you're looking for the easy road
You might be wasting your time.
To reach the most meaningful goals in life
You've got steep hills to climb.
If you're looking for the lazy way
One thing that you will find,
Is that success will never come
Without some daily grind.
If you're looking for some easy wealth
Look somewhere else instead,
Within yourself for energy
To earn your daily bread.
The path to greatness you can't tread
Without some heavy load;
So work your hardest - and your best -
There is no easy road.
—author unknown

Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb
your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is
something special in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and
make your optimism come true.
To think only the best, to work only for the
best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success
of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on
to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and
give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact
to the world, not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
—author unknown

Risk
To laugh
Is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep
Is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another
Is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings
Is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before the crowd
Is to risk loss.
To love
Is to risk not being loved in return.
To live
Is to risk dying.
To hope
Is to risk in despair.
To try at all
Is to risk failure,
But risk we must
Because the greatest hazard in life
Is to risk nothing.
—author unknown

Take Time
Take time to work—
It is the price of success.
Take time to think—
It is the source of power.
Take time play—
It is the secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to read—
It is the fountain of wisdom.
Take time to be friendly—
It is the road to happiness.
Take time to love and to be loved—
It is nourishment for the soul.
Take time to share—
It is too short a life to be selfish.
Take time to laugh—
It is the music of the heart.
Take time to dream—
It is hitching your wagon to a star.
—author unknown

The Best Within You
In the name of the best within you, do not
sacrifice this world to those who are at its worst.
In the name of the values that keep you alive, do
not let your vision of man be distorted by the
ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who
have never achieved his title. Do not lose your
knowledge that man's proper estate is an upright
posture, an intransigent mind and a step that
travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go
out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless
swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the
not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in
your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life
you deserved, but have never been able to reach.
Check your road and the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won, it exists,
it is real, it's yours.
—Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

This Day
Today is a new day. Fresh, unspoiled and full of promise.
Whatever has happened whether it be a hundred years ago or
last evening has no influence upon this day. The present
knows nothing of the past. The slate is wiped clean and I am
free to write upon it whatsoever I choose.
This is my day. No person has ever lived as I live, felt as I
feel, thought as I think or loved as I love. No one ever will. I
am a unique creation with rare and special combinations of
skills, talents, creativity and features.
Just as we feel great anticipation and expectancy at the
beginning of a new year, I can feel the same with the beginning
of a new day. Every day is a new beginning and I will
treasure it as such.
This day can never be reclaimed. It is an irreplaceable
jewel in the crown of my Sacred Life.
Today, I am a new man.
I begin a new day—yea, a new life.
—author unknown

The Impossible Dream
To dream the impossible dream
to fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow the star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to pass into hell for a heavenly cause
And know if I'll only be true to the glorious quest
That my heart lies peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered in scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow the star
No matter how hopeless,
no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
And to dream the impossible dream
—Don Quiote
from Man of La Mancha

The Truth About Failure
Failure doesn't mean you are a failure . . . it does mean you
haven't succeeded yet.
Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing . . . it
does mean you have learned something.
Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool . . . it does mean
you had a lot of faith.
Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced . . . it does
mean you were willing to try.
Failure doesn't mean you don't have it . . . it does mean
you have to do something in a different way.
Failure doesn't mean you are inferior . . . it does mean you
are not perfect.
Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life . . . it does
mean you've a reason to start afresh.
Failure doesn't mean you should give up . . . it does mean
you should try harder.
Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it . . . it does mean
it will take a little longer.
Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you . . . it does
mean God has a better idea!
—Robert Schuller,
Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do

What I Lived For
I went to the woods because I wanted
to live deliberately, to front only the essentials
of life, and see if I could not learn what
it had to teach, and not, when I came to
die, discover that I had not lived. I did not
wish to live what was not life, living is so
dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation,
unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to
live deep and suck out all the marrow of life,
to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put
to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad
swath and shave close, to drive life into a
corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms,
and, if it proved to be mean, why then to
get the whole and genuine meanness of it,
and publish its meanness to the world; or if
it were sublime, to know it by experience
and be able to give a true account of it in
my next excursion.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Tomorrow
He was going to be all that a mortal should be
Tomorrow. No one should be kinder or braver than
he Tomorrow. A friend who was troubled and weary
he knew, Who'd be glad of a lift and who needed it,
too; On him he would call and see what he could do
Tomorrow.
Each morning he stacked up the letters he'd write
Tomorrow. And thought of the folks he would fill
with delight Tomorrow. It was too bad, indeed, he
was busy today, And hadn't a minute to stop on his
way; More time he would have to give others, he'd
say, Tomorrow.
The greatest of workers this man would have
been Tomorrow. The world would have known him,
had he ever seen Tomorrow. But the fact is he died
and he faded from view. And all that he left here
when living was through Was a mountain of things
he intended to do Tomorrow.
—Edgar Guest

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