Beware of doing good deeds before others in order to garner their attention. When you give to the poor do not throw a party. You deserve no plaudits. No doubt you could have given more.
 
   Refrain from going on unnecessary trips. Think of the environment. There is nothing more or better in Spain than right here at home. The community college offers Spanish classes.
 
   We grow older but no wiser. Therefore do not think you are developing as a person. You are not. From rest to sleep and from sleep to rest.
 
   Before blaming others for your misfortunes, look down at your hands. The hands of the idle are blistered. The hands of the diligent are callused.
 
   Do not believe yourself to be righteous. Strive to be righteous but never believe it. That will be the day ambition takes root.
 
   Also do not believe that you can improve, that a refined upbringing, a university degree or a move to the city might improve you. Studies can refine a person, but never improve her.
 
   No person has the governance of her tongue. For such a small appendage it can boast of enormous feats. Therefore keep quiet as much as you can. A closed mouth harms none.
 
   Love someone, but in moderation, so as not to scandalize the rest of us. Never kiss your lover in a public place, but keep your love behind closed doors. What two people do together is no concern of a third.
 
   Christen your children, and christen them regular names such as Mark or Hannah. Do not humiliate them with newfangled notions but buy them regular clothes and teach them regular games.
 
   Take care of your body, which is yours on loan. Eat game, fish, berries and turnips. Do not go to the gym to satisfy your vanity. Let your job furnish the exercise your body requires.
 
   Spend the least possible time at the pub. Avoid being visibly drunk. With your water drink some schnapps. Schnapps clears the mind and aids the digestion.
 
   Prefer a quick tempo. Be brief and brisk. Do not spend your time reassessing old values. They are old for a good reason. Hasten to work and hasten back. There is always more work you can do at home.
 
   Spend your time with humble people. Hunt and fish. Promote the public good. Avoid such entertainments as dance and music. They can easily kindle passion to no gain. Reserve your passion for your work. We are never done working no matter how much we work. We are never done sleeping no matter how much we sleep.
 
   Your life is as short as a shadow. At its peak it was still a struggle. Expect nothing special from this life. Nothing is as beautiful as we first believe.
 
   Forget the past and look to the future. What’s done is done. Your childhood was no better than the present. Do not expect anything of the years ahead either. In a century they too will be forgotten.
 
   Life should demonstrate decent behavior. Life should be such that you are an adult in Malmberget and always have been. A monument stands in Malmberget Square. That is how life should be.