There once was a young boy with a very bad temper. The boy's father wanted to teach him a lesson, so he gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper he must hammer a nail into their wooden fence.
(Retold by Anne Paden, From Jack London's White Fang)
Jack London's wonderful classic, White Fang, tells the story of an animal, half dog, half wolf, as he survives his life in the wild and then learns to live among men. There is one story in particular that has left a lasting impression on my heart.
Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Aren't you ashamed to reserve for yourself only the remnants of your life and to dedicate to wisdom only that time can't be directed to business? — Seneca, On the Brevity of life, 3.5b
Ryan Holiday, The 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
It is said that if you would have peace of mind, busy yourself a little. But wouldn't a better saying be do what you must and as required of a rational being created for public life? For this brings not only the peace of mind of doing few things, but the greater peace of doing them well. Since the vast majority of our words and actions are unnecessary, corralling them will create an abundance of leisure and tranquility. As a result, we shouldn't forget at each moment to ask, is this one of the unnecessary things? But we must corral not only unnecessary actions but unnecessary thoughts , too, so needless acts don't tag along after them. — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.24
Ernie Zelinski, 101 Really Important Things You Already Know but keep forgetting
No doubt you have noticed that it isn't all that difficult to get advice for your problems- regardless of the size or nature. To be sure, most individuals will be more than happy to give you guidance on anything imaginable and declare that it is great advice. A lot of them have likely adopted one of Oscar Wilde's principles:
The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.
