It’s True!
On: The Shortness Of Life
"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste
much of it. Life is long enough, and it's been given to us in generous
measure for accomplishing the greatest things, if the whole of it is
well invested. But when life is squandered through soft and careless
living, and when it's spent on no worthwhile pursuit, death finally
presses and we realize that the life which we didn't notice passing
has passed away. So it is: the life we are given isn't short but we
make it so; we're not ill provided but we are wasteful of life. Just as
impressive and princely wealth is squandered in an instant when it
passes into the hands of a poor manager, but wealth however modest
grows through careful deployment if it is entrusted to a responsible
guardian, just so our lifetime offers ample scope to the person who
maps it out well. . . . Life, if you know how to use it, is long."(Lucius Seneca c. 4 BC – AD 65)
Popular posts from this blog
Rock Me, Epictetus!
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8
Three New Additions To My Desk
Actually, it’s an ad-duck-tion. I missed the perfect opportunity to say, “and they’re in a row, too!” Silly goose.
The Smooth-flowing Life
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...