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 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 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 critical 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 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 careful. Strive to be happy.



- Max Ehrmann, 1927




"Life is no straight and easy corridor along
which we travel free and unhampered,
but a maze of passages,
through which we must seek our way,
lost and confused, now and again
checked in a blind alley.

But always, if we have faith,
a door will oopen for us,
not perhaps one that we ourselves
would ever have thought of,
but one that will ultimately
prove good for us."
- A.J. Cronin

and then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. "
-Anais Nin


"She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of
the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of
the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all
the 'right' reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or
worry, she just let go.

She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to
let go... She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She
let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all
of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the
planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She
didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public
announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't check the weather
report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go.

She didn't analyze whether she should let go. She didn't call her
friends to discuss the matter. She didn't do a five-step Spiritual
Mind Treatment. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter
one word. She just let go.

No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or
congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed
a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good and it
wasn't bad. It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came
over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the
moon shone forevermore."


- Ernest Holmes

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three
things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I 've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

- Maya Angelou

Seeking The Beloved

Whirl and rejoice, find the ruby of your heart
Through circling degrees, your body becoming
A planet of the soul embedded in still serenity.
You are your arching senses sending energy
To the centre of the dance; the Beloved calls out
To himself rising like leviathan rejoicing.
Wars are fought here in your dancing blood
Chamber convulsed with joy, it looks upon God
From the famine of its lowly state with longing sighs.
Angels pierce you in your turning with the cool
Needles of their eyes, you are wounded with
Their peach your whirl and rejoioce happily drowning
In that enchantment where no body may enter
No sun nor moon: as the dancer brings forth the dance.

-Mevlana Rumi