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Enron Mail |
once, a long time ago, i think you copied some words of wisdom for me from =
the Importance of Living...if it wasn't you it's not important, because the= point is that i recently found them again and reread them today. i think = you should read them too, if not for the first time, then again and with fr= esh eyes.... "the ancient people who desired to have a clear moral harmony in the world = would first order their national life; those who desired to order their nat= ional life would first regulate their home life; those who desired to regul= ate their home life would first cultivate their personal lives; those who d= esired to cultivate their personal lives would first set their hearts right= ; those who desired to set their hearts right, would first make their wills= sincere; those who desired to make their wills sincere would first arrive = at understanding; understanding comes from the exploration of knowledge of = things. when the knowledge of things in gained, then understanding is reac= hed; when understanding is reached, then the will is sincere; when the will= is sincere, then the heart is set right; when the heart is set right, then= the personal life is cultivated; when the personal life is cultivated, the= n the home life is regulated; when the home life is regulated the national = life is orderly; and when the national life is orderly, then the world is a= t peace. from the emperor down to the common man, the cultivation of the p= ersonal life is the foundation for all. it is impossible that when the fou= ndation is disorderly, the superstructure can be orderly. there has never = been a tree whose trunk is slender and whose top branches are heavy and str= ong. there is a cause and a sequence in things, and a beginning and end in= human affairs. to know the order of precedence is to have the beginning o= f wisdom." right now i think both of us are at the beginning, i.e. "exploration of kno= wledge of things"...and i think the "things" in this instance refer to thos= e "things" in the past year which have dumb-founded us each individually. = i know you want to get to those heavy and strong top branches (and i think = to a large extent children and caring for your partner in old age represent= those branches for you), but they will not come without the trunk...you ca= n't jump the sequence of things. now is the time for exploration, and i be= lieve you are well on your way in that regard, but above all you must remem= ber that time is the key...and that you can't rush yourself in this process= . hope the skiing is great and i will talk to you soon. SueBob
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