Life

10 Travel the road of life according to your abilities and your foot will find its appointed place. Take time and consider every action. He who journeys leisurely, journeys best, and the runner who hastens not unduly is he who reaches the goal.

12 Think not, with the weakling, that nothing is more precious, nor, with the hermit, that you should reject it. Think not too highly of it, nor consider it worthless. Love it not for itself or for what you can get out of it, but for what you can do with it.

13 Forget not that Life has but one purpose, one end and one objective, and that is the awakening of the souls of men. All things on Earth conform to that end. Earth without its perplexities and problems, its struggle and strife, its inequalities and injustices, would never develop the soul in a manner meet for its destiny. This is the answer to the Riddle of the Ages. If all were right with the Earth, there would be nothing for man to do, as it is there is sufficient to occupy him throughout his generations. When man himself is Perfect, its purpose will be fulfilled and Earth, too, will be Perfect.

14 Riches cannot buy Life, nor can gold purchase back wasted hours. Therefore, employ the future that you have left to your greatest benefit. Lament not that you were born or desire that Life should depart. Life has a purpose and meaning even for one as miserable as you, and the Law may not be set aside.

19 Life must be lived from the beginning to the end. Run the race easily, for the course is long and the runner who runs the race best is he who conserves his strength in the early laps.

20 Be not disturbed or overwhelmed when misfortune accompanies your passage along the way. Be not dispirited when the pace is hard, or faint before the obstacles. Accept the challenge of adversity with high spirits, for as the flame is to wax and the furnace to copper, so is Adversity to the soul.

21 Every sorrowful blow that falls upon the soul is a tempering stroke. The metal that suffers the fire of the furnace longest is the finest in quality.

From The Kolbrin - The Book of Morals and Precepts - Chapter 4 - Life
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