Personal responsibility

The following extract about Alexander.  The context is that Alexander has portioned out or engaged almost all of the royal property to friends to enable them to follow him in his explorations and conquests...

But when he perceived his favourites grow so luxurious and extravagant in their way of living and expenses [...(silver nails in shoes, precious ointments, servants everywhere)...], he reproved them in gentle and reasonable terms, telling them he wondered that they who had been engaged in so many single battles did not know by experience, that those who labour sleep more sweetly and soundly than those who are laboured for, and could fail to see by comparing the Persians' manner of living with their own that it was the most abject and slavish condition to be voluptuous, but the most noble and royal to undergo pain and labour. He argued with them further, how it was possible for anyone who pretended to be a soldier, to look well after his horse, or to keep his armour bright and in good order, who thought it much to let his hands be serviceable to what was nearest to him, his own body, "Are you still to learn", said he, "that the end and perfection of our victories is to avoid the vices and infirmities of those whom we subdue?" And to strengthen his precepts by example, he applied himself now more vigorously than ever to hunting and war like expeditions, embracing all opportunities of hardship and danger...

The sortedness, or clear-eyed appreciation of labour, personal responsibility, good order and the simple adage of applying the self to whatever is nearest, the application being the thing. 

Something to learn and remember, something to practice, something to imbibe.

Slowly and well

The following poem from somewhere. Where the design principles recall to mind the objective, or the guiding light under which to build something, the sky of sorts, this following here perhaps guides the how, the way to approach any build. 

Slow me down, Lord!

Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace,

With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me, amidst the confusion of my day,

The calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension of my nerves

With the soothing music of the singing streams

That live in my memory.

Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations of slowing down.

To look at a flower;

To chat with an old friend or make a new one;

To pat a stray dog; to watch a spider build a web;

To smile at a child; or to read from a good book.

Remind me each day

That the race is not always to the swift;

That there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward into the towering oak

And know that it grew great and strong

Because it grew slowly and well.

Architect's ethos - an inspiration for any build

In my rough notebook, I have noted down some core principles that guide architects & designers. When something is to be built, perhaps one recalls to mind the simplest values:

Durability: It should stand up robustly and remain in good condition

Utility: It should be useful and function well for people using it.

Beauty: It should delight people and raise their spirits.

These words help guide many things. As one builds good habits, or a building, or anything in between, a recalling to mind of some basic thoughts.