IfIwereaBoyAgain
IfIwereaboyagain,Iwouldpracticeperseverancemoreoften,andnevergiveupathingbecauseitwasorinconvenient.Ifwewantlight,wemustconquerdarkness.Perseverancecansometimesequalgeniusinitsresults.“Thereareonlytwocreatures,”syasaproverb,“whocansurmountthepyramids—theeagleandthesnail.”
IfIwereaboyagain,Iwouldschoolmyselfintoahabitofattention;Iwouldletnothingcomebetweenmeandthesubjectinhand.Iwouldrememberthatagoodskaternevertriestoskateintwodirectionsatonce.
Thehabitofattentionbecomespartofourlife,ifwebegainearlyenough.Ioftenheargrownuppeoplesay“Icouldnotfixmyattentiononthesermonorbook,althoughIwishedtodoso”,andthereasonis,thehabitwasnotformedinyouth.
IfIweretolivemylifeoveragain,Iwouldpaymoreattentiontothecultivationofthememory.Iwouldstrengthenthatfacultybyeverypossiblemeans,andoneverypossibleoccasion.Ittakesalittlehardworkatfirsttorememberthingsaccurately;butmemorysoonhelpsitself,andgivesverylittletrouble.Itonlyneedsearlycultivationtobecomeapower.
IfIwereaboyagain,Iwouldcultivatecourage.“Nothingissomildandgentleascourage,nothingsocruelandpitilessascowardice,”syasawiseauthor.
Wetoooftenborrowtrouble,andanticipatethatmayneverappear.”Thefearofillexceedstheillwefear.”Dangerswillariseinanycareer,butpresenceofmindwilloftenconquertheworstofthem.Bepreparedforanyfate,andthereisnoharmtobefreared.
IfIwereaboyagain,Iwouldlookonthecheerfulside.Lifeisverymuchlikeamirror:ifyousmileuponit,Ismilesbackuponyou;butifyoufrownandlookdoubtfulonit,youwillgetasimilarlookinreturn.
Innersunshinewarmsnotonlytheheartoftheowner,butofallthatcomeincontactwithit.“whoshutsloveout,inturnshallbeshutoutfromlove.”
IfIwereaboyagain,Iwouldschoolmyselftosaynomoreoften.Imightwritepagesontheimportanceoflearningveryearlyinlifetogainthatpointwhereayoungboycanstanderect,anddeclinedoinganunworthyactbecauseitisunworthy.
IfIwereaboyagain,Iwoulddemandofmyselfmorecourtesytowardsmycompanionsandfriends,andindeedtowardsstrangersaswell.Thesmallestcourtesiesalongtheroughroadsoflifearelikethelittlebirdsthatsingtousallwinterlong,andmakethatseasonoficeandsnowmoreendurable.
Finally,insteadoftryinghardtobehappy,asifthatwerethesolepurposeoflife,Iwould,ifIwereaboyagain,Iwouldstilltryhardertomakeothershappy.