May 9

Life is constant change: as corporeal life weaks, spiritual life strengthens and grows.

1

War with oneself and self-violence cannot but be a consequence of our former sins; but this self-violence is loving and lawful. A mother is pulling her child out from the jaws of a beast. The child is in pain, but, of course, he must ascribe his suffering not to his mother, who is saving him, but to the beast, who wants to keep hold of him. A human being must see the battle between good and evil the same way: the good, like the mother, is pulling our soul away from evil, and although this battle is painful, it is necessary and good for us. We would be worse off if this battle did not take place. We cannot be good without it.

— Pascal

2

As we become more enlightened, we appear worse to ourselves than we previously thought. We are surprised at just how blind we were as we see a whole swarm of shameful feelings emanating from our heart. We had never imagined that we could keep such filth in ourselves, and we view its appearance with horror. But we need not be surprised, nor despair. We have not become worse than we were, quite the contrary.

— Fenelon

3

Learn as you live. Do not wait for old age to bring you wisdom.

— Solon

4

The main thing we need to do is get rid of the absurd notion that in time the heavens will fix our biggest mistakes. If you are carelessly preparing some dish, then you would not rely on providence to make it delicious; and likewise, if you had spent a long series of senseless years leading your life in a false direction, then you should not wait for divine intervention to set you onto the right path.

— John Ruskin

5

Virtue always moves forward and yet it always starts from the beginning.

— Kant

6

The goodness of a dove is not virtue. A dove is no more virtuous than a wolf. Virtue and its degrees begin only when effort begins.

7

If it pleased God, he would have made us all one people, but he is testing us.

Wherever you may be, all of you must strive with all your strength towards goodness: a day will come when you will all be united by God.

— The Quran

We must not stop on the path of self-perfection. The moment you feel more interested in the external world than in your soul, know that you have stopped; the world is moving past you, and you are standing still.