Although Henry David Thoreau died in the 1800s, his thoughts and words live on today.
Thoreau is one of my favorite writers because of his simplicity, directness, subtlety and humor.
Here’s an example – “If you built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them.”
What a great way to say, “Go ahead, dream big. Then do the work to make it happen from the bottom up.”
Unfortunately, we tend to limit our goals to what only seems immediately possible. Or even worse, we do nothing and simply allow life to happen to us.
Action – Write out a seemingly fantastical desire for your future. Then work all the way back from your goal to the first step, the foundation. Then, do something today that begins the process of building that foundation.
May I use the picture on this post in a presentation to a library group to which I’m speaking this week? Karen Calhoun, assistant director, University of Pittsburgh library
PS–like you, I found the Thoreau quote and like it. It was in searching for an image to go with the quote that I found your post!
Hi Karen:
It is a photo I got from istockphoto and so I do not have the license to give permission for you to use the picture. If you search the phrase “castle in the sky” at istock, you will come up with that picture, along with others. They have another interesting one – stock number 1451532 – that may also suit your needs.
I’m a big fan of Thoreau and believe we can continue to learn a lot from him.
Thanks for getting in touch!
Nancy