I do not always choose the books that I should read. They choose me, they call me from the bookshelf in a bookstore, often I buy them without knowing the reason; but every one of them always leaves something important. Recently I opened some volumes of my small library at random, and below I copy some earmarked extracts.
Epictetus and control
"Of all the things that exist, some are within our reach and others are not. Those within our reach are thought, impulses, loving and loving not – in a word, all that results in our own actions.
"But there are things that arise without our being able to interfere, they surprise us, and in this case we have to look wisely at what is happening. What disturbs man’s spirit are not the facts, but rather the judgment we pass on those facts.
"Do not ask for everything in life to follow the path of your will. Pray that things happen as they need to happen – and you will see that everything is far better than you were expecting.”
Manuel Bandeira and the river
Be like the river that flows
silently into the night.
Do not fear the dark of night.
Reflect any stars that are there in the sky.
And if the sky is dark with clouds,
since clouds are water just like the river,
without regret, reflect them too
in the deep calm.
A text by Chico Xavier
“When you manage to overcome serious problems of relationship, dwell not on the memory of the difficult times but on the happiness at having come through yet another test in your life. When you escape from a serious accident, do not keep thinking about the trauma that it caused but about the miracle that helped you to come out of it unscathed. When you come to the end of a long treatment for your health, think not of the suffering that you had to endure but of God’s blessing that allowed you to be cured.
“Hold in your memory for the rest of your life the good things that appeared amidst the difficulties. They will be a proof of your ability to win tests and they will give you confidence in the divine presence that helps us in any situation, at any time, before any obstacle.”
Khalil Gibran and the art of giving
"You say: 'I give, but to those who deserve.'
"The trees do not talk like that, nor do the flocks. They give so that they can go on living; to retain is to die. Those who are worthy of receiving from God the days and the nights are also worthy of receiving from you all that they need. Those who deserve to drink from the ocean of life also deserve to fill their glass from the little river in each of us.
"Why ask of a man to tell his secrets and strip him of his pride before you can decide whether he needs help? Try rather to see if you deserve to give.
“And you who receive, do not assume any debt of gratitude, avoid making a tie that binds you to your benefactors.
"Because if you are too worried about these debts you will end up doubting the generosity of the Earth and the Father – which is where these gifts really came from."
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