Death is much simpler than birth; it is merely a continuation. Birth is the mystery, not death.
Do not attempt to do a thing unless you are sure of yourself; but do not relinquish it simply because someone else is not sure of you.
The thing you are ripening toward is the fruit of your life. It will make you bright inside, no matter what you are outside. It is a shining thing.
A man is skillful at woodraft just in proportion as he approaches this balance. Knowing the wilderness can be comfortable when a less experienced man would endure hardship. Conversely, if a man endures hardships where a woodsman could be comfortable, it argues not his toughness, but his ignorance or foolishness, which is exactly the case with our blatant friend of the drawing-room reputation.
