When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou has passed through.
Interpretation
Reflecting on past hardships can help curb excessive ambitions.
This quote by Tokugawa Ieyasu suggests that when we feel overwhelming ambition or desire, it is wise to remember the challenges and difficulties we have overcome in the past. Such reflections can ground us, reminding us of our resilience and the lessons learned through adversity, which can influence our actions and desires in a more balanced way.
In practice
A motivational speaker might use this quote to encourage people in a workshop about overcoming challenges.
If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.
You've got to believe in the possibilities. You've got to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. And here's the big one. Believe in yourself.
I wasn't going to be one of those people who died wondering what if? I would keep putting my dreams to the test - even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
I think you have to try and fail, because failure gets you closer to what you're good at.
I began singing in dive bars and really small clubs. I dragged my piano down the stairs, and I went down the street with my keyboard, and I would go to every different dive bar that I could get to agree to let me play. I'd call and pretend I was Lady Gaga's manager.
I'm prouder of my weight loss than my Oscar! I hope it has inspired people.
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