Monday, December 31, 2007

Desiderata: Things to be Desired

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 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 by Max Ehrmann, all rights reserved. © renewed 1954 by Bertha Ehrmann

The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer: A Deeper Conversation

"The Invitation" was sent to me via my high school batch Yahoo groups email. This was the first time I've heard or read it, which goes to show that so many things --- good things -- are out there waiting to be discovered, read, internalized, etc. etc.

This short prose-poem, as the author described it, came about via deeper understanding of what she really wanted to know about a person she was having a conversation with. Not the usual dreary and the usual information about a person: what they do for a living... where they live... etc. While these questions are valid in normal conversations, obviously these are just exploratory in nature. To really understand the person, one must spent time and effort to connect.

Here is an excerpt from the invitation, to read full version click title page or here:

"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence."

Thanks to Maria for sharing this insight.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Enjoy Life!

Photo by M Baylon Jr (All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2007)


"Work like you don't need the money.


Love like you've never been hurt.


Dance like nobody's watching.


Sing like nobody's listening.


Live like it's Heaven on Earth.


Live life to the fullest.


Enjoy life..."