Desiderata and my Pretend Book

I read this poem on a blog I sometimes like to keep up with. I gather it is fairly popular and has some historical significance. Somehow I have never read it. I like it.

Desiderata

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --
Not "Found in Old St. Paul's Church"!

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.


Me again: What's not to like or wish to aspire to? Hope it has brightened your day. We are doing good. VERY Busy, but not particularly productive business. Just the business of here and there, to and fro, ups and down...the business of life. Good though. I have been writing more. Trying to make it into a discipline. Struggling a bit with some issues of intellect...ie spiritual...churchy...social. And then writing about them. I am pretending to be writing a book. I say "pretending" because if I say I am writing a book my brain will put so much pressure on myself that it most likely will never go anywhere. So, "Hi, my name is Amanda. I am 35 years old and every night for approximately one hour, I pretend to write a book." haha;o)

Here is an excerpt:

On another note, I have been growing…hopefully always will. But I have seen a lot lately as I explore faith, spirituality and individuality, that the more I look around and do this kind of modern deduction of "hey, here are all the ways of looking at things…and I know because I can google anything…I think I will choose to be like this and TEACH myself to be that way…because hey, I have bought into all this self help and it even says in the bible I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. And I live in America where we can do anything. Anyway, I'll just change who I am, bypass the learning and go straight to the right answer..so there!" Well, since I have subconciously adopted this kind of thought life, I have seen my individuality fading. Thinking this way is a compromise that promises perfection but delivers disappointment. I want to be me. Mistakes and all. And I will be me, mistakes and all no matter what I do…the question is: whose will the mistakes be? Mine or someone else's? Hmmm. I like me when I let myself be me. I think I am pretty darn right on. Shouldn't we all think that about ourselves? I think that's how God intended us to be at our fullest. I'm working on it.


Have a good one!