| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Koran: the rich men of you.
And what the Apostle gives you, take; and what he forbids you,
desist from; and fear God, verily, God is keen to punish!
And (it is) for the poor who fled, who were driven forth from
their houses and their wealth, who crave grace from God and His
goodwill, and help God and the Apostle; they are the truthful.
And those who were settled in the abode and the faith before them,
love those who fled to them; and they do not find in their breasts a
need of what has been given to them; preferring them to themselves,
even though there be poverty amongst them; and whoso is preserved from
his own coveteousness, these are the prosperous!
 The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad: on toward the south. Enough, at least, to keep
hope alive. But suppose that I had used those
capricious gusts of wind to sail away to the west-
ward, into some region where there was not a
breath of air for days on end, what then? Perhaps
my appalling vision of a ship floating with a dead
crew would become a reality for the discovery
weeks afterward by some horror-stricken mariners.
That afternoon Ransome brought me up a cup
of tea, and while waiting there, tray in hand, he re-
marked in the exactly right tone of sympathy:
 The Shadow Line |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Illustrious Gaudissart by Honore de Balzac: "Public business," answered Margaritis, interrupting him. "I
pacificated Calabria under the reign of King Murat."
"Bless me! if he hasn't gone to Calabria!" whispered Monsieur Vernier.
"In that case," said Gaudissart, "we shall quickly understand each
other."
"I am listening," said Margaritis, striking the attitude taken by a
man when he poses to a portrait-painter.
"Monsieur," said Gaudissart, who chanced to be turning his watch-key
with a rotatory and periodical click which caught the attention of the
lunatic and contributed no doubt to keep him quiet. "Monsieur, if you
were not a man of superior intelligence" (the fool bowed), "I should
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