Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
Robert Louis StevensonRead
It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
Interpretation
The forest captivates people not just because of its beauty, but due to the refreshing and renewing quality it offers to those who are weary.
This quote by Robert Louis Stevenson emphasizes that the forest has a profound impact on humanity, drawing us not solely due to its picturesque landscapes but for the unique atmosphere it creates. The 'subtle something' he mentions refers to the revitalizing energy derived from nature, which replenishes tired souls and offers solace and rejuvenation to those who seek refuge in its serene embrace.
In practice
During a nature retreat, sharing this quote can inspire participants to connect deeply with their surroundings.
Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.
That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.
His past was fairly blameless; few men could read the rolls of their life with less apprehension; yet he was humbled to the dust by the many ill things he had done, and raised up again into sober and fearful gratitude by the many he had come so near to doing, yet avoided.
The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the domination of outward conditions.
It is the history of our kindnesses that alone make this world tolerable. If it were not for that, for the effect of kind words, kind looks, kind letters . . . I should be inclined to think our life a practical jest in the worst possible spirit.
If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.
The public must learn how to cherish the nobler and rarer plants, and to plant the aloe, able to wait a hundred years for it's bloom, or it's garden will contain, presently, nothing but potatoes and pot-herbs.
The highest treason, the meanest treason, is to deny the holiness of this little blue planet on which we journey through the cold void of space.
The river and the garden have been the foundations of my economy here. Of the two I have liked the river best. It is wonderful to have the duty of being on the river the first and last thing every day. I have loved it even in the rain. Sometimes I have loved it most in the rain.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it has pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater. Next to the train line, footprints were sunken to their shins. Trees wore blankets of ice. As you may expect, someone has died.
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