What is ironic about this passage? "Fifteen years before, his millions had been beyond his reckoning; now he was afraid to ask himself which were greater, his debts or his assets. Desperate gambling on the Stock Exchange, wild speculation, and the excitability which he could not get over even in advancing years, had by degrees led to the decline of his fortune and the proud, fearless, self-confident millionaire had become a banker of middling rank, trembling at every rise and fall in his investments."

"if we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. in order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse." anthon st. maarten, divine living: the essential guide to your true destiny. what does this quote mean to you? this isn't for anything in particular, i just wanted to know. : )