Until recenty, I was unaware that Tolstoy has written some kind of a quote book. The fact that even Tolstoy needed some guidance from fellow man has some soothing effect on me. How am I to handle the silence of the world when even Tolstoy could not make it on his own ? I am lost and I know some people struggled the same with me, even though they were making history.
So here is the most important lessons I took from the book.
Be picky about the things you strive for
Better to know a few things which are good and necessary than many things which are useless and mediocre.
No matter what you believe, fulfill your work
We have to fulfill honestly and irreproachably the work destined for us. It does not matter whether we hope that we will become angels some day, or believe that we have originated from slugs. —JOHN RUSKIN
Consider this: if the sole aim of your life is to find the happiness (whatever the definition it may be), life becomes a terrible and meaningless experience. You must believe what humanity's wisdom, your brain, and your heart tell you: you have to serve. You have to share. You have to change someone’s life. You have to feel and you have to make people feel awesome.
If you want to go further, you must embrace pain
There is only one law, both in your personal and social life: if youwant to improve your soul, you should be ready to sacrifice it.
Your harshest enemy is the rage and hatred inside you
Your enemy will pay you back with rage, will make you suffer, but the biggest damage to you will be caused by the rage and hatred existing in your heart. Neither your father, nor your mother, nor all your family can make you more good than your heart can when it forgives and forgets its abuse. - DHAMMAPADA, a book of BUDDHIST WISDOM
Memento Mori, Remember the Death
There are two different states of human existence: first, to live without thinking of death; second, to live with the thought that you approach death with every hour of your life.
You are happy as much as you make someone happy
A person becomes happy to the same extent to which he or she gives happiness to other people. —JEREMY BENTHAM
Your work is your signature, try to find the flow
Nothing can make a person feel more noble than work. Without work, a person cannot have human dignity. It is because of this that idle people are so much concerned by the superficial, outer expression of their importance; they know that without this, other people would despise them.
Choose silence, even if it is hard
For every time you regret that you did not say something, you will regret a hundred times that you did not keep your silence.
Never neglect your body
Physical work, physical exercise for your body, is a necessary condition of life. A man can force others to do things for him, but he cannot free himself from the necessity of his own physical work. And if a man does not work at necessary and good things, then he will work at unnecessary and stupid things.
Don judge people without facing the struggles they have been through
Never blame your neighbor until you have been in his place.—The TALMUD
Be kind to others and tough to yourself
Forgive other people for many things, but do not forgive yourself anything. —PUBLILIUS SYRUS
Do not be disappointed about past, do not prepare for future. You are only sure about this second.
Real life is found only in the present. If people tell you that you should live your life preparing for the future, do not believe them. We live in this life, and we know this life only, and therefore all our efforts should be directed toward the improvement of this life. Not your life in general but every hour of this life should be lived in the best way you know how.
Nobody is against you, but everybody is for themselves.
Try to understand and remember that a person always tries to do what is best for himself. And if he is right when he does the best thing for himself, it is good; but if he is mistaken, it is bad, because suffering will follow after such mistakes. If you remember this, then you will never be upset by anybody, you will never reproach anybody, and you will never be an enemy to anybody.
—EPICTETUS
Use meditation if you prefer the noblest. Follow leaders if you want the easiest. Take action if you would like the hardest.
We can understand wisdom in three ways: first, by meditation; this is the most noble way. Secondly, by being influenced by someone or following someone; this is the easiest way. Third is the way of experience; this is the most difficult way. —CONFUCIUS
The most important things ? The present moment, the person right next you sharing this precise moment and the thing you are involved with.
A wise man was asked what was the most important time, person, and thing in life. He answered, “The most important time is the present time, because at this time a person has power over himself. The most important person is the one with whom you deal at present, because there is no guarantee that you will ever be able to deal with any other person in this world. The most important thing is to love this person, because everyone is sent into this world with the sole purpose of loving other people.
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Forward always,
Ratip.