“That is the way Emerson said it. But here is the way a poet -the late Douglas Mallochsaid
it:
If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill.
Be a scrub in the valley-but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush, if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass.
If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass-
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew.
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun, be a star;
It isn't by the size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are!”
― How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry
it:
If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill.
Be a scrub in the valley-but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush, if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush, be a bit of the grass.
If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass-
But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew.
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun, be a star;
It isn't by the size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are!”
― How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry
“To love someone fiercely, to believe in something with your whole heart, to celebrate a fleeting moment in time, to fully engage in a life that doesn’t come with guarantees – these are risks that involve vulnerability and often pain. But, I’m learning that recognizing and leaning into the discomfort of vulnerability teaches us how to live with joy, gratitude and grace.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection
“Courage is like—it’s a habitus, a habit, a virtue: You get it by courageous acts. It’s like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection
“Hope is not an emotion; it's a way of thinking or a cognitive process.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection
“the best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today's work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.”
― How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry
― How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry
Loretta’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Loretta’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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Favorite Genres
Biography, Children's, Classics, Cookbooks, Ebooks, History, Memoir, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Self help, Spirituality, and Travel
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