Power ceases in the instant of repose; it resides in the moment of transition from a past to a new state, in the shooting of the gulf, in the darting to an aim.
Interpretation
True power is found in moments of change and transition, rather than in stillness.
Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote emphasizes that power is not a constant state but something that emerges during periods of change. It highlights the importance of being proactive and dynamic, illustrating that the ability to move from one state to another—whether in thoughts, actions, or circumstances—is where true strength lies.
In practice
This quote can be used in a motivational speech to inspire people during times of change.
It is plain that there is no separate essence called courage, no cup or cell in the brain, no vessel in the heart containing drops or atoms that make or give this virtue; but it is the right or healthy state of every man, when he is free to do that which is constitutional to him to do.
Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line.
Men cease to interest us when we find their limitations
Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakeably meant for his ear.
The world belongs to the energetic.
Hast thou named all the birds without a gun?
And knowing what happens on average is a good place to start. By so doing, we insulate ourselves from the tendency to build our thinking - our daily decisions, our laws, our governance - on exceptions and anomalies rather than on reality
Emotions will either serve or master, depending on who is in charge.
Sometimes angels rush in where fools fear to tread.
The spirit is the true self. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure.
When the heart is right, the mind and the body will follow.
Growth is limited by that necessity which is present in the least amount.
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