though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.
Interpretation
Success and fulfillment come through hard work and effort in our personal endeavors.
This quote suggests that while there is goodness and potential in the world around us, individual success is dependent on the dedicated work we put into our own lives and responsibilities. It emphasizes the importance of personal effort—the 'toil'—in reaping rewards, which are symbolized by the 'kernel of nourishing corn'.
In practice
During a graduation speech to inspire students about their futures.
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?
The point is not how long you meditate; the point is whether the practice actually brings you to a certain state of mindfulness and presence, where you are a little open and able to connect with your heart essence. And five minutes of wakeful sitting practice is of far greater value than twenty minutes of dozing!
If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation?
Very early on, you figure out that you put your self-esteem in the hands of strangers. There's a different commodity. There's the Helena Bonham Carter that everyone thinks they know, who really has nothing to do with me. But you just have to let that go.
Only when you combine sound intellect with emotional discipline do you get rational behavior.
He that lies with the dogs, riseth with fleas.
Organize, agitate, educate, must be our war cry.
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