Davis was weak and vascillating, timid, petulant, peevish, obstinate, but not firm.
For preserving peace of soul, it is also necessary to avoid judging others.
Be humble, for the worst thing in the world is of the same stuff as you; be confident, for the stars are of the same stuff as you.
Let us be ashamed of our slowness in thanking God when He gives, and of our quickness in grumbling at Him when He takes away.
For every man, peace of soul is precious. With those who have attained peace of soul, the body can be in constant motion; in work, in pain, but their souls, affixed to God, always remain in unwavering peace.
For if God does not for a moment tire of giving us good things, how can we tire of thanking Him for these good things?
O Lord Most-wise, strengthen us by Your power that we not fear the non-believing world neither when they lash us with whips nor when they insult us with words for Your sake.
Yeah, I spent my teen years in West Virginia, and when I was a kid, in Louisiana. I definitely have that exposure to two different sorts of rural: the South and Appalachia.
What we seek is what we are.
Look at yourself as someone who is reaching for healing, and at the complexity of what needs to be healed. Do not think that you exist alone without other human beings of equal complexity.
If I never explore my limits, my bodymind will gradually tighten and become unconscious. If I regularly explore my limits in a caring and adventuresome fashion, I will expand and grow in a vital fashion. But if I try to push myself past where I am honestly able to go, I will no longer be practicing yoga but instead will be practicing greed, and I will probably be met by pain and disease. Stated simply, it is the difference between ignoring your self, making love to yourself, and raping yourself.