George Herbert: "The Church-porch"

Day 29: Evening

57

Let your mind still be bent, still plotting where, and when, and how the business [of being a better person] may be done. Slackness breeds worms; but the veteran traveler, though he alights sometimes, still goes on. Active and stirring spirits live alone. Write on the others: "Here lies such a one" [who did not continue to improve].      Never stop planning or looking ahead. Always consider how your project can best be done. Arrange the next move where, when and by what means your goals can be fulfilled. If you are not making your next move, think about where and when you could make your next approach. When you neglect the objective, the resolve fades. As travelers we plan a trip with an objective and all details form a part of that accomplishment. The sure traveler may stop and rest and plan tomorrow's schedule, but he does go on, continuing his adventures, his information gathering and his goal. Like the traveler, we arrange the next day’s excursions. We have alternate routes, transportation and sites. Keep the design, and revise a plan. The business man may even take a vacation, but his mind still plots and schemes. Active, energetic and originating spirits live alone. "Keep your eyes on the prize."      If we turn our backs on the idea, or if we slacken when we could be going ahead, we falter. For those of us who give up, there is the last line: "Write on the others," whose who do not "go on," "Here dies such a one."

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