| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: in years, a mighty resolution that would have been creditable to an
experienced man took firm root in his heart.
He was obliged to recount all his adventures to his mother and,
although he made light of the dangers he had passed through, the story
drew many sighs and shudders from her.
When luncheon time arrived he met his father, and Mr. Joslyn took
occasion to reprove his son in strong language for running away from
home and leaving them filled with anxiety as to his fate. However,
when he saw how happy and improved in health his dear wife was at her
boy's return, and when he had listened to Rob's manly confession of
error and expressions of repentance, he speedily forgave the culprit
The Master Key |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Sportsman by Xenophon: From this extremity there is but one means of escape, and one alone,
for the luckless prisoner. One of his fellow-huntsmen must approach
with boar-spear and provoke the boar, making as though he would let
fly at him; but let fly he must not, for fear of hitting the man under
him. The boar, on seeing this, will leave the fallen man, and in rage
and fury turn to grapple his assailant. The other will seize the
instant to spring to his feet, and not forget to clutch his boar-spear
as he rises to his legs again; since rescue cannot be nobly purchased
save by victory.[31] Let him again bring the weapon to bear in the
same fashion, and make a lunge at a point within the shoulder-blade,
where lies the throat;[32] and planting his body firmly press with all
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Apology by Plato: despised danger in comparison with disgrace; and when he was so eager to
slay Hector, his goddess mother said to him, that if he avenged his
companion Patroclus, and slew Hector, he would die himself--'Fate,' she
said, in these or the like words, 'waits for you next after Hector;' he,
receiving this warning, utterly despised danger and death, and instead of
fearing them, feared rather to live in dishonour, and not to avenge his
friend. 'Let me die forthwith,' he replies, 'and be avenged of my enemy,
rather than abide here by the beaked ships, a laughing-stock and a burden
of the earth.' Had Achilles any thought of death and danger? For wherever
a man's place is, whether the place which he has chosen or that in which he
has been placed by a commander, there he ought to remain in the hour of
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