Desiderata (Things Desired) by Max Ehrmann
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.
I have never read this before. Thank you.
This is beautiful beyond.
This is one of my absolute favs, and its always a good reminder. Thank you!
Beautiful.
… For me, it makes more sense getting children/students (dam… I know a lot of adults who could do with it’s wisdom too!) to learn and understand something like this, rather than a lot of the garbage they are picking up at the moment.
Between the muck they learn in school and they muck they learn at home, is it any wonder our home planet, Mother Earth, is drifting away from the mass populations.
Moses would have been far better coming down from the mountain with a copy of Desiderata, instead of his “stone tablets” that were just a bit “too hard to swallow” (pun intended
)
This is like the Baz Luhrmann “Sunscreen” of it’s time, and still so relevant today. I think a more suitable title would be “Guide Track to Life (a.k.a. If you mess up after this, maybe a hot poker in the rear end will do you some good!)”
Thank you for sharing this gem.
Much blessings
namaste
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One of my favorite poets is Andrea Gibson. She has an amazing poem, “Say Yes” – she has a moving performance (recording) of it.