"All enterprises must be self-supporting, must pay for themselves. The great art of life is how to turn the surplus life of the soul into life for the body — that so the life not be a failure. For instance, a poet must sustain his body with his poetry. As is said of the merchants, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the life of men is a failure, and bankruptcy may be surely prophesied. You must get your living by loving."

-From Thoreau's Journal; March 13, 1853

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This quote really spoke to me this morning, especially the last line.

One of my biggest fears, maybe my biggest, is my life will be a failure. And if I am able to disengage from the post office and make my living growing native plants and building resilient plant communities I will have achieved my living by loving.

Fire 161

3.13.25