exhausting schedule

However, if you don't test those limits and occasionally
go past them, you can never improve. You'll always go
slightly below your capacity, never reaching your
possible potential. I don't enjoy an exhausting schedule,
but occasionally facing one ensures my productivity
muscles stay strong.
3. Embarrassment and Smart Risk-Taking
There are some situations where failures and successes
can't be separated. There is no action that will
guarantee you only get success. In these cases, it can be
useful to ignore the losses since the wins will make up
for it.

the matter is what we knew

There was a shepherd the other day up at Findon Fair who had come from the east by Lewes with sheep, and who had in his eyes that reminiscence of horizons which makes the eyes of shepherds and of mountaineers different from the eyes of other men. He was occupied when I came upon him in pulling Mr. Fulton's sheep by one hind leg so that they should go the way they were desired to go. It happened that day that Mr. Fulton's sheep were not sold, and the shepherd went driving them back through Findon Village, and up on to the high Downs. I went with him to hear what he had to say, for shepherds talk quite differently from other men. And when we came on to the shoulder of Chanctonbury and looked down upon the Weald, which stretched out like the Plains of Heaven, he said to me: "I never come here but it seems like a different place down below, and as though it were not the place where I have gone afoot with sheep under the hills. It seems different when you are looking down at it." He added that he had never known why. Then I knew that he, like myself, was perpetually in perception of the Unknown Country, and I was very pleased. But we did not say anything more to each other about it until we got down into Steyning. Then we drank together and we still said nothing more about it, so that to this day all we know of the matter is what we knew when we started, and what you knew when I began to write this, and what you are now no further informed upon, namely, that there is an Unknown Country lying beneath the places that we know, and appearing only in moments of revelation.
Whether we shall reach this country at last or whether we shall not, it is impossible to determine.

between private men

It is a strange thing to observe, how high a rate great kings and monarchs do set upon this fruit of friendship, whereof we speak: so great, as they purchase it, many times, at the hazard of their own safety and greatness. For princes, in regard of the distance of their fortune from that of their subjects and servants, cannot gather this fruit, except (to make themselves capable thereof) they raise some persons to be, as it were, companions and almost equals to themselves, which many times sorteth to inconvenience. The modern languages give unto such persons the name of favorites, or privadoes; as if it were matter of grace, or conversation. But the Roman name attaineth the true use and cause thereof, naming them participes curarum; for it is that which tieth the knot. And we see plainly that this hath been done, not by weak and passionate princes only, but by the wisest and most politic that ever reigned; who have oftentimes joined to themselves some of their servants; whom both themselves have called friends, and allowed other likewise to call them in the same manner; using the word which is received between private men.

quit the stage

After these two noble fruits of friendship (peace in the affections, and support of the
judgment), followeth the last fruit; which is like the pomegranate, full of many kernels; I
mean aid, and bearing a part, in all actions and occasions. Here the best way to represent
to life the manifold use of friendship, is to cast and see how many things there are, which
a man cannot do himself; and then it will appear, that it was a sparing speech of the
ancients, to say, that a friend is another himself; for that a friend is far more than
himself. Men have their time, and die many times, in desire of some things which they
principally take to heart; the bestowing of a child, the finishing of a work, or the like.
If a man have a true friend, he may rest almost secure that the care of those things will
continue after him. So that a man hath, as it were, two lives in his desires. A man hath a
body, and that body is confined to a place; but where friendship is, all offices of life are
as it were granted to him, and his deputy. For he may exercise them by his friend. How many
things are there which a man cannot, with any face or comeliness, say or do himself? A man
can scarce allege his own merits with modesty, much less extol them; a man cannot sometimes
brook to supplicate or beg; and a number of the like. But all these things are graceful, in
a friend’s mouth, which are blushing in a man’s own. So again, a man’s person hath many
proper relations, which he cannot put off. A man cannot speak to his son but as a father; to
his wife but as a husband; to his enemy but upon terms: whereas a friend may speak as the
case requires, and not as it sorteth with the person. But to enumerate these things were
endless; I have given the rule, where a man cannot fitly play his own part; if he have not a
friend, he may quit the stage.

this weakness appear

Neither doth this weakness appear to others only, and not to the party loved, but to he loved most of all; except the love be reciprocal. For it is a true rule, that love is ever rewarded either with the reciprocal, or with an inward and secret contempt: by how much the more men ought to beware of this passion, which loseth not only other things but itself. As for the other losses, the poet's relation doth well figure them; that he that preferred Helena, quitted the gifts of Juno and Pallas: for whosoever esteemeth too much of amourous affection, quitteth both riches and wisdom. This passion hath his floods in the very times of weakness, which are, great prosperity and great adversity; though this latter hath been less observed: both which times kindle love, and make it more frequent, and therefore, show it to be the child of folly. They do best, who, if they cannot but admit love, yet make it keep quarter; and sever it wholly from their serious affairs and actions of life: for if it check once with business, it troubleth men's fortunes, and maketh men that they can no ways be true to their own ends. I know not how, but martial men are given to love: I think it is, but as they are given to wine; for perils commonly ask to be paid in pleasures. There is in man's nature a secret inclination and motion toward love of others, which, if it be not spent upon some one or a few, doth naturally spread itself toward many, and maketh men to become humane and charitable; as it is seen sometimes in friars. Nuptial love maketh mankind; friendly love perfecteth it; but wanton love corrupteth and embaseth it.

to be wise

The stage is more beholding to love, than the life of man. For as to the stage, love is even matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies; but in life it doth much mischief, sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons, (whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent,) there is not one that hath been transported to the mad degree of love; which shows, that great spirits and great business do keep out this weak passion. You must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius the half partner of the Empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius the Decemvir and lawgiver; whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man and inordinate; but the latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though rarely,) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept. It is a poor saying of Epicurus: Satis magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus; as if man, made for the contemplation of heaven, and all noble objects, should do nothing but kneel before a little idol, and make himself a subject, though not of the mouth (as beasts are,) yet of the eye, which was given him for higher purposes. It is a strange thing to note the excess of this passion; and how it braves the nature and value of things by this, that the speaking in a perpetual hyperbole is comely in nothing but in love. Neither is it merely in the phrase; for whereas it has been well said, that the arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatters have intelligence, is a man's self; certainly the lover is more; for there was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself as the lover doth of the person loved; and therefore it was well said, that it is impossible to love, and to be wise.

lovers of themselves

L. Sylla, when he commanded Rome, raised Pompey (after surnamed the Great) to that height,

that Pompey vaunted himself for Sylla’s overmatch. For when he had carried the consulship

for a friend of his, against the pursuit of Sylla, and that Sylla did a little resent

thereat, and began to speak great, Pompey turned upon him again, and in effect bade him be

quiet; for that more men adored the sun rising, than the sun setting. With Julius Caesar,

Decimus Brutus had obtained that interest, as he set him down, in his testament, for heir in

remainder, after his nephew. And this was the man that had power with him, to draw him forth

to his death. For when Caesar would have discharged the senate, in regard of some ill

presages, and specially a dream of Calpurnia; this man lifted him gently by the arm out of

his chair, telling him he hoped he would not dismiss the senate, till his wife had dreamt a

better dream. And it seemeth his favor was so great, as Antonius, in a letter which is

recited verbatim in one of Cicero’s Philippics, calleth him venefica, witch; as if he had

enchanted Caesar. Augustus raised Agrippa (though of mean birth) to that height, as when he

consulted with Maecenas, about the marriage of his daughter Julia, Maecenas took the liberty

to tell him, that he must either marry his daughter to Agrippa, or take away his life; there

was no third war, he had made him so great. With Tiberius Caesar, Sejanus had ascended to

that height, as they two were termed, and reckoned, as a pair of friends. Tiberius in a

letter to him saith, Haec pro amicitia nostra non occultavi; and the whole senate dedicated

an altar to Friendship, as to a goddess, in respect of the great dearness of friendship,

between them two. The like, or more, was between Septimius Severus and Plautianus. For he

forced his eldest son to marry the daughter of Plautianus; and would often maintain

Plautianus, in doing affronts to his son; and did write also in a letter to the senate, by

these words: I love the man so well, as I wish he may over–live me. Now if these princes

had been as a Trajan, or a Marcus Aurelius, a man might have thought that this had proceeded

of an abundant goodness of nature; but being men so wise, of such strength and severity of

mind, and so extreme lovers of themselves, as all these were, it proveth most plainly that

they found their own felicity (though as great as ever happened to mortal men) but as an

half piece, except they mought have a friend, to make it entire; and yet, which is more,

they were princes that had wives, sons, nephews; and yet all these could not supply the

comfort of friendship.