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
ignorant;
they too
have their story. Avoid loud and aggresive persons; they are a vexation
to th
spirit.
If you compare
yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will
be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your
achievments as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career,
however
humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; 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 your self.
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 years, gracefully surrendering the things of
youth.
Nurture strenght of spirit to sheild you in sudden misfortune. But
do not distress
yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a
wholesome dicipline, 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 concieve 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 careful.
Strive to be happy.
There are two versions about how the Desiderata came
to be. One is that it was found in old ST. Pauls Church in
Baltimore, USA and was dated as written in 1692
and was translated from Latin into English by Max Erhmann in
1927.
The second version is that it was written by Max Erhmann
in 1927.
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