Inscribed in old Saint Paul’s Church, Baltimore, dated 1691,author unknown.
“Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there maybe in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quitely and clearly; and listen to to others, even the dulla and ignorant; they too have their story.
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.
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 ardity and disenchantment it is perenial as the grass.
Take kindly the councel of the years, gracefully surrendring things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to guard you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. May 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 starts. You have a right to be here. And whether or not its clear to you, the Universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with GOD, whatever you percieve him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisey 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.
4 comments:
Oh MY God! That was BEAUTIFUL. I felt such immense peace and calm fill me as i read on. I'm going to come back to this post whenever i feel low- it was THAT touching. Thanks for sharing and God bless you.
p.s. i actually feel numb- my stress feels gone. Thank you.
Thank you for that. I am having a bad time right now and reading that really did ease my soul.
Hi there,
This is called Desiderata (latin for desired things) and it's by Max Ehrmann... Not written in the 1600s though, it's actually a 20th century piece of writing.
Hi Meg. Thanks for the information. i read this in a book by Harold Sherman ages ago, and have noted it down word for word...Guess Harold didnt know about Max Ehrmann.
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