Showing posts sorted by date for query desiderata. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query desiderata. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Monday, August 7, 2023

This is only a test

The universe is estimated to be almost 15 billion years old; the Earth about 4.5 billion; humans (Homo sapiens) less than a million. I need to remind myself of this so I can keep in perspective that we are, literally, not only "a child of the universe,” but children on a universal timescale. Is it any wonder that we continue to make monumental mistakes? Plus, there are indications that this whole existence thing is just an experiment, to see if it works. Maybe, by the time time has run its course, everything will just disappear into a last singularity, a mega black hole.

Meanwhile, I don’t give a damn about a cage match between X-man and Zuckface. I do need to do more to break my current pattern of awakening in the morning, walking dogs, getting coffee, checking local and international news, watch my mood go to hell again, check social media, watch my mood worsen. If I reframe life as an experiment in which I (and you) are involuntary participants, and realize how many failed experiments often precede any kind of success, it doesn’t all seem as bad.

Leopold shack and pines
Leopold shack and pines
Photo by J. Harrington

An example? from Estella Leopold’s Stories from the Leopold Shack, 

“The first phase of the family’s annual pine planting ran from spring 1936 until spring 1939. Those were the dust bowl years, and during the first droughty summer of 1936 almost all the little pines died....

We continued to plant thousands of pines the next year, and most of those died, ...” 

These days, the pines that finally made it are being thinned so the mature trees can be replaced with seedlings.

There are also stories about Edison and his inventions that highlight the nature of experiments: “‘Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work.’” I think you get the picture.

So, much as I find it challenging to accept, henceforth, I shall spend less time doom-scrolling and more time rereading this:


Desiderata: Original Text

This is the original text from the book where Desiderata was first published.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann ©1927




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Saturday, December 31, 2022

On the eve of a new year

This year, and a few preceding it, remind me of the opening of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

That assessment then makes me thing of the proverb “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That prompts me to remember some of my Christmas presents, literary postcards that came from the Book Elves via the Better Half, or vice versa.

tomorrow brings the dawn of a new year
tomorrow brings the dawn of a new year
Photo by J. Harrington

I’ve not read much of Tolstoy so I was pleased to read his observation, printed on a card, that “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.” It seems to me to nicely complement the card with the quotation from T. S. Eliot that “And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” [If interested, check here.]

Several times over the decade I’ve been posting here I’ve mentioned the poem Desiderata. To see how often, and in what contexts, follow this link. I can think of no better way to close out this year than to hope and pray that Desiderata is true for each of us.


Remember

 - 1951-


Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star's stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun's birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother's, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.



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Tuesday, November 29, 2022

As November fades

We currently have about 3 inches on the deck railings, at least where the birds and squirrels haven’t tromped the snow. Can birds and squirrels actually tromp? Maybe I should have written trod? You decide. Anyhow, by the time I fire up the snowblower I expect we’ll be blowing 4 or 5 inches of the white, flaky stuff. It will be less of a chore if the wind stays down until the drive is clear but I’m not counting on that.

The book we bought the other day, about the Yule Tomte, begins by telling us his name is Grump. I can relate. In fact, I noticed the Better Half smiling and quietly chuckling several times as she read the book and I’m now highly suspicious she was noting similarities between her spouse and the descriptions of the tomte’s characteristics. Or maybe it’s just my imagination. I did enjoy reading the story of The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits and look forward to sharing it with our Granddaughter, a few pages at a time.


Sigurd, now one of our traditional seasonal decorations
Sigurd, now one of our traditional seasonal decorations
Photo by J. Harrington

With today’s snowfall, it looks as though we’re in for at least three solid months of a landscape that’s dominated by white, just as our summers are preponderantly green. Take a wild guess which I prefer. It seems to me that the way we’ve commercialized the Yule season we’ve lost touch with the seasonal changes it captured in the days of folklore. It is now less than a month until the shortest day / longest night of the year (in the northern hemisphere). Very soon after the winter solstice, the days begin to get longer. The earth begins to be reborn. Meanwhile most of us in western civilization try to plod on as if it weren’t the depths of winter, cold and snow covered. I’m not sure how we’re going to reclaim respect for the nature on which we depend for the real essentials of life, fresh air and clean water, if we remain separated from the seasonal rhythms that affect the rest of the earth’s inhabitants. Nowhere in any of the traditional Yule and Christmas stories with  which I’m familiar do I remember reading about “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday.”  And, while we’re on the subject, does anyone know where “Giving Tuesday” originated, and why.  Enough!

I’ve a Judy Collins Christmas CD on the stereo (yes, I am that old). The Better Half and I have begun pulling from storage seasonal decorations for assembling. I’m going to try to leave my grumpy elf aspects closed in a figurative chicken coop until New Year, or maybe even longer. As the author of Desiderata reminds us: “With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.” 


Earth, Teach Me.....Native American Quote


                Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
                Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
            Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
                  Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
                  Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
          Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
              Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
              Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
              Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
          Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
      Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.

                                                An Ute Prayer


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Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Time to adjust? or adapt?

It’s been a cloudy, showery day around here. The weather contributing to a feeling of ennui and malaise, which is probably just as well. We did a little outside work in yesterday’s heat and almost knocked ourselves out. At least we’re not coping with the floods of Yellowstone.

The rollercoaster weather is making it difficult to impossible to develop a syncopated rhythm or comfortable pattern to inside or outside chores. The good news is that we’re using the weather spasms as an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the philosophy displayed in the wonderful poem Desiderata. That revised attitude or perspective has been partially triggered and reinforced by a gift we received recently. It’s a book titled Things to Look Forward to. I’m just getting into it but, so far, I find I’m mostly in agreement.

trout streams are on the “TO DO” list
trout streams are on the “TO DO” list
Photo by J. Harrington

As another clue that I may be on an improved track with a slightly improved outlook, today I got an email that informed me that I’m not the only fly fisher whose attempts at fishing get thwarted by the weather. The person who sent the message reported that two of his recent trips had been abruptly terminated or canceled by lightning or the threat thereof. Standing in water waving a 9 foot graphite rod is NOT RECOMMENDED when there’s lightning around. Usually, I’m more concerned about the prospect of having to get a hook removed from my head if I miscalculate an errant gust of wind during a forward cast.

If the forecast holds, we’ll get most of the poison ivy spraying done tomorrow and see if we can fit in some kind of playing before Father’s Day. We look forward to reporting on having had some kind of fun in the near future.


Desiderata: Original Text

This is the original text from the book where Desiderata was first published.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann ©1927



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Thursday, February 24, 2022

On the state of the world

There are days, sometimes days on end, when it’s difficult to accept the first sentence of the last stanza of Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata: “And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” This is one of those days, embedded in one of those times. Of course, that assessment presumes I know how things should be compared to how they are. I don’t know. I only know how, with my limited knowledge and perspective, I think they should be, or, more precisely, how I would like them to be.

Waaayy back in my younger days, the guys I hung around with frequently argued about whether it was better, once you got into a fight and were winning, to try to beat the hell out of your opponent so they never wanted to mess with you again, or, to instead give your opponent a sporting opportunity too say “enough,” and perhaps win a friend rather than a perpetual enemy. I believe those arguments are continuing to this day because, in part, those outcomes depend as much on your opponent’s world view as on yours. Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill?

happiness is a friend who loves you
happiness is a friend who loves you
Photo by J. Harrington

One of the reasons Desiderata is such worthwhile guidance is that it focuses on helping us attain an all too rare condition in the world these days, happiness, or the striving to attain it. So, for today’s posting the key concept is found in these questions: Do you know what it is that really makes you happy? How did you learn that?

Something I first read many years ago relates to happiness in a different way, especiallly for those of us who have a tendency to focus primarily on goals. 

“Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late. Today, this hour, this minute is the day, the hour, the minute for each of us to sense the fact that life is good, with all of its trials and troubles, and perhaps more interesting because of them.”

― Robert Updegraff 


Happiness


There’s just no accounting for happiness,
or the way it turns up like a prodigal
who comes back to the dust at your feet
having squandered a fortune far away.

And how can you not forgive?
You make a feast in honor of what
was lost, and take from its place the finest
garment, which you saved for an occasion
you could not imagine, and you weep night and day
to know that you were not abandoned,
that happiness saved its most extreme form
for you alone.

No, happiness is the uncle you never
knew about, who flies a single-engine plane
onto the grassy landing strip, hitchhikes
into town, and inquires at every door
until he finds you asleep midafternoon
as you so often are during the unmerciful
hours of your despair.

It comes to the monk in his cell.
It comes to the woman sweeping the street
with a birch broom, to the child
whose mother has passed out from drink.
It comes to the lover, to the dog chewing
a sock, to the pusher, to the basketmaker,
and to the clerk stacking cans of carrots
in the night.
                     It even comes to the boulder
in the perpetual shade of pine barrens,
to rain falling on the open sea, 
to the wineglass, weary of holding wine.


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Thursday, November 18, 2021

Amid the noise and haste...

One week from today is Thanksgiving. The more we look around, the more we find for which we are grateful and in need of giving thanks. Slowly we are learning that much of the difference between a good day and an otherwise one depends as much on our focus and attitude as on the day’s actual events. We remember some advice from a management seminar years (and years) ago, under the heading of management by walking around: keep your eyes open so you can catch people doing something right and thank them for it. (It probabbly also works on Zoom, but maybe not  as well.) A very different approach to Aha! If need be, there’s almost always an opportunity to revert to Scrooge mode, but how often is that necessary?

Harry the beagle and SiSi the Lab caught behaving well
Harry the beagle and SiSi the Lab caught behaving well
Photo by J. Harrington

In today’s Guardian, Rebecca Solnit offered Ten ways to confront the climate crisis without losing hope. That prompted us to remember that, lurking somewhere around the house, is a copy of Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata. It will probably turn up during the next week as we dig out seasonal decorations, books and music. In case you’ve never heard of it, or read it, we’ve included it as today’s poem, because we think the season, our moods, and our home planet could be vastly improved if more of us took its sentiments to heart and did our best to actually live them. 


Desiderata 


Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story. 

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. 

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism. 

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass. 

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself. 

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. 

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy. 

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.



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Tuesday, September 8, 2020

An attitude of gratitude

This  year's Autumn Equinox will occur two weeks from today at 8:30 am. We hope, weather permitting, to be able to celebrate by burning the pile of brush, largely buckthorn and storm-downed branches, that's been accumulated since the feast of Lughnasadh on August 1. The leaf-covered branches that I've trimmed off of the downed oak tree will then replace the current brush pile and provide shelter for whoever until Spring.


female ruby-throated hummingbird
female ruby-throated hummingbird
Photo by J. Harrington



We still have some female ruby-throated hummingbirds coming to the feeders, but the numbers and frequency of visits seem to be dwindling. Downy woodpeckers approve because that means more sugar water for them. Come Winter, woodpeckers get suet instead of sugar water, for obvious reasons. Not  that I want to rush my favorite season, but Winter will also bring relief from the nightly routine of bringing the feeders in from the deck railing so the bear(s) don't get tempted to visit.

Election day is eight weeks from today. Early voting in Minnesota begins in eleven or ten days, I think. We requested absentee ballots for both the primary and the general election so it's time to start watching for the arrival of ballots in a week or so. With the number of absentee, mail-in ballots expected to be cast this COVID-19 year, I wonder if the dust will have settled by Thanksgiving Day. One of my major Christmas wishes is that any "Blue Wave" 🌊 is created by so many votes for Democrats that it becomes a "Blue Tsunami" 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊. I certainly wish mainstream Democrats were more progressive, but readily concede they're more honest and  competent than Republicans.

Recent reports that the Greenland ice sheet has melted past the point of no return, combined with the current regime's efforts to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement, which, of itself, is reported to be inadequate, are all disheartening. Climate breakdown is every bit as much a hoax asCOVID-19, which is to say, not at all. "Trumpsters" are as competent at governing as they are at small boat handling. We deserve better. Despite all the chaos and madness and assorted stupidity we have to cope with, I'm trying to adjust my attitude to include more gratitude for whatever good is still occurring. It doesn't make the world at large any  better, but I feel better and that's a start on making the rest of the world better. I just wish that wasn't so hard to remember these days.


Desiderata


GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

By Max Ehrmann © 1927
Original text



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Thursday, November 28, 2019

#HappyThanksgiving!

Short posting today because we're traveling and visiting and .... For the past several years we've struggled with a growing sense of anger and disappointment, not necessarily in that order. We remember Jack and Bobby Kennedy who, though not faultless, seemed to us to bring more integrity to politics than we've seen in a long time, especially the past three years or so. On the other hand, we're watching more and more politics of inclusion and "Green New Deals," which we see as signs of hopefulness for which we should be and are thankful. All of this lands us in a place where we believe the best Happy Thanksgiving wishes we can share today were written by someone else, some time ago, when we were young and the world seemed to be a very different place. The following thoughts seem more valuable and appropriate each and every day these days. Wishing you and yours and theirs the best on this Thanksgiving and the days to come.

wild turkey, once almost our national symbol
wild turkey, once almost our national symbol
Photo by J. Harrington


Max Ehrmann


Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.


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Thursday, November 22, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving! Will you choose to be thankful today?

Once again it's officially the "Holiday Season." Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is underway. That's the milestone we use each year. We wish you all the warmest, most desirable and wonderful holidays ever. Don't forget to share what you have with those who have less.

we're grateful for November sunrises like this
we're grateful for November sunrises like this
Photo by J. Harrington

This morning we're trying to decide if it's time to be grateful that Minnesota's North Country has found a solution to global warming. This season our skies have been cloudy almost all day, almost every day. Yesterday's sunrise looked sort of like the picture above. Today we couldn't find a sunrise, the clouds are so solid and thick, but we are grateful we are free to choose to be cheerful regardless. [Read Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”] If sunlight is limited to around 10% or 20% of normal, does that solve climate disruption? Probably not, since the solution needs to be global, right?

With that out of the way, we can think of no better wish for all of us this season than to note and live by Frankl's observation and to choose to live in a way like the following:

Max Ehrmann


Desiderata


Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.


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Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.