In my family’s Web-Publishing business, we often look at rare, out-of-print books in the public domain. Occasionally one will have a timelessness about it, allowing it to be given new life and a second chance to enlighten and entertain a new generation of knowledge-seeking, eager readers. For book lovers, like myself, this is too exciting to even describe.
Nine times out of ten, however, they’re simply too out-dated in their terminology, approach, and/or overall message. However, there’ll often be a passage (sometimes even a chapter) that I’ll use on my websites or blogs. This allows the author to sort of “Time Travel” into our modern day and find a whole new audience.
Today’s Time-Traveller is one of my favorite authors: Grenville Kleiser. Even before I had books for business partners, I collected them for my own personal use. Mr. Kleiser had his own personal shelf – he still has it….great property, too – a Penthouse shelf. Thanks to by husband’s ebay skills, I nearly have every word Grenville Kleiser ever wrote!
Ina book published in 1917, INSPIRATION AND IDEALS, Grenville Kleiser wrote an inspirational entry for each day of the year. Kind of a time-lined blog in a book. But he was so much better about being concise and to the point than I could ever hope to be. I tend to ramble like an 85 year old substitute teacher with purple hair, cracker breath, and sensible shoes.
I was reading through this book over coffee earlier, picking out quotes for the Quote Collection like they were grapes on a vine. One of the entries was so perfectly perfect and so brilliantly brilliant that I knew what it had in mind: It wanted to come back to life in a blog post.
So without further delay…or rambling (See?! See?!?!), here is the entry as it appeared in 1917. Some things really are timeless.
To be strong and true; to be generous in praise and appreciation of others; to impute worthy motives even to enemies; to give without expectation of return; to practise humility, tolerance, and self-restraint; to make the best use of time and opportunity; to keep the mind pure and the judgment charitable; to extend intelligent sympathy to those in distress; to cultivate quietness and non-resistance; to speak little and listen much; to adhere always to a high standard of thought, purpose, and conduct; to grow in grace, goodness, and gratitude; to seek truth and righteousness; to work, love, pray, and serve daily; to aspire greatly, labor cheerfully, and take God at His word - this is to travel Heavenward.
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Digging through older texts can often provide great insight, as you’ve illustrated