Illusion of grandeur

The world does not give without expecting something in return. To be prominent is to be a target. For all the attention, you must fulfill their wishes.

To gain the finer things in life carries quite a hefty price tag. The means of payment is in obedience. And be assured that it can all be taken away.

Those who would succeed should do so quietly. Take care not to wake the sleeping dragon. For with its stirring there will come the desire to feed.

Knowing more makes you a threat. Only one's value can temporarily protect them. When your use is at an end, it will be known where you stand.

Power is merely the illusion of grandeur. Such a thing is not given, rather it is delegated. Seeking it makes you but a servant and not the master.

Leave the doomed to struggle for the scraps. Do not get caught up in the futility. Live for but a single purpose: solely in order to make things better.

Best effort

Success is oft beyond our reach. Even with all of our best efforts, we cannot seem to grab hold of it. Yet, giving up should not even be an option.

A lifetime might not be long enough to see one's dreams come true. We need only do what we can. Whatever else is entirely out of our hands.

Keep pressing forward, and you will see progress. It may not all come up roses, but a few buds will bloom. And that makes it all worth the while.

When all has been given, no more can reasonably be expected. Then, it is time to rest. Do not worry about that which you can do nothing about.

Those who hold back will bear the shame. Who is to say whether just a bit more effort would have been sufficient? They will never really know.

Continue to try until your last day has come and gone. Then, there will be nothing to find fault with.  Any further complaints will fall on deaf ears.

To be free

So many things in life do not last. It makes no sense to focus one's efforts on that which will perish. One day, you just might wake up to find it all gone.

In this world, everything has a shelf life. Even our attention is here today and elsewhere tomorrow. A lot of time is spent replacing what we used to love.

Protect that which you cherish. Do not let anyone take it away, especially if the offending party is you. Remember what drew your interest originally.

Feelings are transitory by nature. What you like must reach deeper to have a chance at survival. If you can do without it, then you probably should.

When the expiration date is finally reached, let it go. Walk away and do not look back. Regret is far too grievous a burden for anyone to attempt to carry.

To be free, we must unshackle ourselves from our desires. These are the strings by which they make us dance. What a blessing it is when they are cut.

Gaining and maintaining

Patience is a virtue sorely lacking in this day and age. Haste will make waste of the best of intentions. It is the difference between careful and careless.

Those who rush through life tend to miss the good parts. A moment lost is a cause for regret. For in that brief space, much good could have been done.

It is not in the quantity but in the quality where time finds its value. Days might pass by uneventfully. However, everything can change in an instant.

The ones who have it all, are not appreciative. So, it is not at all surprising that so much is withheld. Thus, we learn to be grateful for what we have.

To wait is a blessing not a burden. Give what was planted the chance to take root. Only then, will it grow into a hardy plant that will bear much fruit.

Do not get too far ahead of yourself. Otherwise, you might wind up in over your head. It is not what we gain, but rather what we are able to maintain.