1. Live for the Idea…
…or you won’t be living at all.
People tend to say that thinking (or abstract thinking, as some call it) is what separates us from the animals. But animals think too. What separates us is the Idea. Sure, we will all be reduced to dust, but Ideas will remain long after we’re gone. The Epicurean “carpe diem!”. The modern: “Search for Yourself. Don’t search in crowds. You won’t find it there”. It is the Spirit, not the Body, that is immortal. Life has meaning as long as we give it meaning. Horace was right, when he said: “I have raised a monument more permanent than bronze”.
2. Think…
…independently.
Let the thoughts of other people be a hint and not the road to finding yourself. Thoughts come from the Heart, the mind only forms them into words. You cannot hear your Heart in the crowd. Your Heart cannot be interpreted by exalted thinkers and false profits. The Heart is inborn, it belongs to you. The Heart talks through emotions, talk to it instead of suppressing it.
3. Be faithful…
…to yourself and you will become faithful to everything that deserves it.
Don’t abandon your dreams. They will stay with you when everyone else betrays you. Rely only on yourself and you will never be disappointed.
4. God exists…
…don’t look for proof, confirmation, reassurance – they are unnecessary.
5. Expect the unexpected…
…surprises can sometimes be disastrous.
Be the first one to surprise. Strike your enemies when they are sleeping.
6. Remain calm…
…always.
It is you who dictates the terms.
7. Do not kill…
…it was not you who gave life, which is why you cannot take life.
8. You can do it…
…there is no end to your abilities, there’s only a lack of will.
If no one else has done it before, you will be able to do it. You are stronger than those, who failed, because you know you’ve got your Heart. You’re allowed to hesitate and doubt – you’re only human. You are a person, but you’re stronger, which is why you can never give up and concede – never!
9. Be good…
…don’t disregard it, listen to your Heart. It will tell you the meaning.
A Monk and a Knight travel in silence for a long time. Finally, the knight says: “You’re leading a sad life, you’ve never experienced the touch of a woman, you stray away from all pleasures and all because you believe in God. I do not share your belief, which is why I’m sucking the marrow right out of Life’s bone by indulging whenever possible. I have broken every law set by Man and Church, and I do not fear the consequences, because I do not believe in your God. My question is this – what if your life ends on this earth and it turns out man is nothing more than food for worms? Then you have lost, because you have strayed away from pleasures and received nothing in return. What if you die and find out there is no God? The Monk thought about it, shrugged his shoulders and said:
“Then I’ll probably be sad, but tell me, sir, what happens when you die and find out that there is a God?”
10. Exterminate traitors…
…they’re the worst thing this earth has ever given birth to.
