(Anonymous)
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
(Epictetus)
You may be disappointed if you fail but you are doomed if you dont try.
(Beverly Sills)
Let no one who loves be called unhappy. Even love unreturned has its rainbow
(James M. Barrie)
To the untrained eye, selfish or ego climbing and selfless climbing may appear identical. Both kinds of climber place one foot in front of the other. Both breathe in and out at the same rate. Both stop when tired. Both go forward when rested. But what a difference! The ego climber is like an instrument that's out of adjustment. He puts his foot down an instant too soon or late. He's likely to miss a beautiful passage of sunlight through the trees. He goes on when the sloppiness of his step says he's tired. He rests at odd times. He looks up the trail trying to see what's ahead even when he knows what's ahead because he just looked a second before. He goes too fast or too slow for the conditions and when he talks his talk is forever about something else. He's here but he's not here. He rejects the here, is unhappy with it, wants to be further up the trail but when he gets there will be just as unhappy because then it will be ?there. ' What he's looking for, what he wants is all around him. But he doesn't want that because it is all around him. Every step is an effort, both physically and spiritually because he imagines his goal to be external and distant.
(Robert Pirsig)