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 vexations 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 not 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 with your soul.
With
all its sham, drudgery and broken
dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
It has been argued where exactly Desiderata
came from, but these are a few rumored places
I now of so far.
-found in Old Saint Paul's Church,
Baltimore; Dated 1692.
-It was written by Max Ehrmann in 1927,
and copyrighted in in 1948 by his widow, Betty.
Through a lawsuit, it had been labeled Public Domain
(anyone can use it) since 1975.
-Desiderata was printed in the stone wall
of the bell tower of St. Paul's church,
It was printed in latin and therfore
was mostly ignored by the people.
Max's contribution was that he was
the first person to translate the latin into english
and distribute to the congregation there.
Max's widow had placed a copyright
on the writing to gain a monetary control
over its distribution after his death.
The lawsuit that was won by the church
was to ensure that it remained
in the public domain free to all who cared to read it,
as it was intended when max first translated.
The best
and most beautiful things in the world
cannot be seen or touched.
They must be felt with the heart.
~ Helen Keller ~
We cannot become who we need to be
By remaining who we are.
~ author unknown ~
When your heart speaks take good notes
~ author unknown ~
~ Thank You for Visiting ~
Autumn 
'99
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