Man is able, and has the duty, to reach the furthest point on the road he has chosen. Only by means of hope can we attain what is beyond hope.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of human agency and hope in pursuing one's goals.
Nikos Kazantzakis suggests that humans have both the capability and responsibility to strive towards their chosen path. The idea that hope is essential in achieving our aspirations beyond what we currently see implies that it acts as a guiding force that enables us to pursue lofty goals, pushing the boundaries of what we believe is possible.
In practice
This quote can be used in a motivational speech about pursuing dreams.
A weak soul does not have the endurance to resist the flesh for very long. It grows heavy, becomes flesh itself, and the contest ends. But among responsible men, men who keep their eyes riveted day and night upon the Supreme Duty, the conflict between flesh and spirit breaks out mercilessly and may last until death.
This, I thought, is how great visionaries and poets see everything- as if for the first time. Each morning they see a new world before their eyes; they do not really see it, they create it.
What happiness this is: to fly, skimming over the earth just as we do in our dreams! Life has become a dream. Can this be the meaning of paradise?
I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen.
The dual substance of Christ - the yearning, so human, so superhuman, of man to attain God. [...] has always been a deep inscrutable mystery to me. [...] My principle anguish and source of all my joys and sorrows from my youth onward has been the incessant, merciless battle between the spirit and the flesh. [...] And my soul is the arena where these two armies have clashed and met.
I fight to embrace the entire circle of human activity to the full extent of my ability.
Optimism boosts your energy and focuses your sights on reaching your goals, rather than wallowing in your setbacks.
We must all wage an intense, lifelong battle against the constant downward pull. If we relax, the bugs and weeds of negativity will move into the garden and take away everything of value.
Namby-pamby little routines that don't speed up your heartbeat and make you sweat aren't worth your while.
Joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment help us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments β but all of this is transitory it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.
At 25, I was in the audience of my first professional speaker, Bob Bales. His presentation got my attention. I had never seen anyone having so much fun 'at work' and getting paid for it!
If you don't love what you're doing with unbridled passion and enthusiasm, you're not going to succeed when you hit obstacles.
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