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Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
23. Strive to be happy. Strive - make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. Imagine, again, being in your twenties and learning that being happy requires striving! Effort! Energy! Definition! This instruction seems to be that one should choose to use one's energies to achieve happiness. Striving to be happy requires work and making choices as to how we choose to respond to situations. Happiness is based on how we choose to think, feel, behave and react to situations in our lives. On the flip side, unhappiness is also based on how we choose to think, feel, behave and react to situations in our lives. Being in a state of neutrality is okay. It's a starting point. It is a position from which we can choose to strive to be happy. We have to identify what's going on - especially if it's visceral - and how we're choosing to think about it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that sometimes we consciously or willingly strive to be unhappy. Actually, it seems like, at times, unhappiness chooses us. We, then, find ourselves searching for those happiness seeds to germinate. Someone once said that you cannot recognize the counterfeit if you don't know how to identify the authentic. I think that recognizing and identifying the feeling and the thinking behind the feeling is the first step. We can ask ourselves, “What am I feeling?” and “How is my thinking influencing how I'm feeling?” Okay. So how do we strive to be happy? What do we need to know about how our thinking and feeling influence our happiness? I've thought about this instruction off and on throughout my life. As I referred to earlier, I've read a lot of self-help books along the way. Happiness is an overall sense of well-being, i.e. internal peace, that comes from maintaining an equilibrium of external circumstances. I have several “grounding” meditations I go to guide my attitude toward life to maintain this equilibrium. I germinate my seeds of happiness by planting them in my blessings and watering them with gratitude. Gratitude for everything - no matter how small or seemingly incidental or inconsequential! I've placed my seeds in a secret cache. I find them through deep contemplation of what I value, what I know, and what I've learned to be true. Striving to be happy allows us to continue to acquire, through our living, knowledge and understanding on which to build happiness while humbly acknowledging all we'll never know about the world and the universe. Striving to be happy is managing what we do know. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB
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Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
22. Be careful. This original instruction in the prose poem was written Be cheerful. Along the way, it was changed to Be careful. I didn't know this until a few years ago. I had become accustomed to Be careful, so that's what I incorporated in my thinking and association with the Desiderata. Be cheerful is positive advice; however, Be careful is portentous. Now, knowing that the option exists, I still choose Be careful as a closing instruction for my commentary. I decided that my Being cheerful will come as the result of my Being careful. Max Ehrmann had his reasons for choosing Be cheerful to close his prose poem. As stated earlier, he wrote the Desiderata for himself so it stands to reason that Be cheerful was a personal, direct instruction. He may have been speaking to his own state of mind at the time. Replacing Be cheerful with Be careful perhaps emanated from some other individual's cautious state of mind at the time; maybe it seemed a more logical closing; or, maybe Be cheerful sounded redundant. I choose to Be careful; you might prefer to Be cheerful. It's up to us to decide how the Desiderata can be the inspirational guide to our choices – our desired things. We are complicated, quirky, deep, multi dimensional human beings. So let's Be careful; and let's Be cheerful doing it. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
21. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. It is still a beautiful world. As we move forward in our living, this declaration encapsulates the wisdom shared by the instructions delineated in the Desiderata, preparing us to handle the eventualities which could sour our view of the world. This declaration could have been the opening statement, the introduction to the Desiderata setting the framework for understanding the instructions that would follow, and why they are worth contemplating and enacting in our living. In spite of things not being what they are purported to be, it is still a beautiful world. Notwithstanding the necessity to perform hard, menial, redundant work, it is still a beautiful world. Despite cherished aspirations, ideals and ambitions seemingly irreparably broken, it is still a beautiful world. We've been knocked around, disheartened, discouraged and bamboozled, but it's still a beautiful world. Acknowledging that it is still a beautiful world brings to mind a gift from my grandmother - a framed canvas with the following embroidered inscription: Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow. This simple saying demonstrates how to value the moment. It presents the immediate and basic approach to recognizing, living and appreciating each blessed filled day. As we embrace this in our hearts, we can want this insight for others. We share in the responsibility for making this a beautiful world. We benefit from making loving contribution to this beautiful world. Others benefit from our loving contribution as we benefit from their loving contribution. We all want to live in a beautiful world. It is still a beautiful world because we are free to express our P.R.I.V.I. It is still a beautiful world because the universe is unfolding as it should and we are unfolding with it. It is still a beautiful world because we affirm it. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
20. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. This instruction expects that we are laboring and aspiring in spite of the noisy confusion we encounter along the way that will provoke our souls. It directs us to continually synthesize what we've learned about ourselves, our careers, our P.R.I.V.I. This is the first time Max Ehrmann uses the word “soul”; and the second time using the word “noise”; however, he uses the word “spirit” three times, once in conjunction with noise. Below are three definitions of soul and spirit. 1. The part of you that consists of your mind, character, thoughts, and feelings. Many people believe that your s____ continues existing after your body is dead. 2. The immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life. 3. The non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character. In my reflection on soul and spirit, I admit that it's hard separating the two. Both have quality, are non physical, inherent, and proprietary. Our soul and spirit are ours to understand, nurture and protect. We're responsible for keeping peace with our soul; it's not our soul's responsibility to keep peace with us. Keeping peace with our soul is keeping peace with our truth. We determine if we're at peace with our souls by asking ourselves that question. We can ask ourselves that question when we're happy, satisfied, grateful, depressed, struggling, angry, when we feel like we've lost our way. Sometimes the answers are clear and forth coming, sometimes not. The profound move is that we dared to ask. “Whatever [our] labors and aspirations, the answers will serve to inform and guide us in “the noisy confusion of life.” Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
19. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. This instruction tells us to believe in a power greater than ourselves – a higher being. To believe in the creator of the universe. To believe there is a creator of the universe. How we choose to define this belief and define this power is up to us. This power that is greater than ourselves benefits us if it has attributes that empower us in positive ways. A power we can call on. A power in which we have not only belief, but in which we have faith and trust. It's personal. It's real. A power that has our back. This instruction also tells us that our journey is to learn to be at peace with our conception of our personal God. We might address our personal God as Father; as Mother; as Father/Mother; as the Almighty; as the Creator. To be at peace with God means to come to terms with our personal relationship with him/her - to come to terms with our personal conception of whatever we conceive God to be. Is our God male or female or both? Is our God living or non-living? Do we possess or reflect the character attributes of our God? Do we see these attributes as positive and empowering? Is our God a perfect God that complements the attributes we don't have? Do we allow our God to lead us or are do we try to lead our God? Do we respect and honor our God? Do we find ourselves humbly disagreeing with our God? How do we resolve conflicts to maintain peace with our God? Is our God loving and forgiving? Is our God merciful and gracious? In spite of the myriad religions from which we can choose, there are people who don't believe there's a God. It may feel easier for them to not believe in God rather than try to come to terms with understanding their conception of what God is. I see this instruction as giving us the permission and freedom to determine our conception of God. My personal God is the universal God; and the universal God is my personal God. Having a personal God indicates intimacy - inseparable proximity. A haven for protection, healing and answers. Having a universal God is my interconnection with humanity and infinity. The universe is unfolding as it should; therefore, let us be at peace with God whatever we conceive him to be. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
18. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. If we accept this declaration as true, it is a comforting thought. The universe is continually unfolding, revealing its inconceivable secrets and incredible mysteries. That which was invisible will become visible. New revelations, Ideas, discoveries, knowledge are being disclosed every second. Little by little, these secrets and mysteries are brought into our sight to experience and on which to reflect. New insights into life and living. I'm neither arrogant nor audacious enough to question as to whether or not the universe is unfolding as it should on its magnificent scale; however, on a personal level, in my private world, I'll admit that it doesn't always seem to me that the universe is unfolding as it should. I suppose that thinking that it should always be clear to me is arrogant and audacious. if I'm feeling unsettled In my private world, then the universe isn't unfolding as it should. If I don't have the good fortune I want, the universe isn't unfolding as it should. If I can't explain it, the universe isn't unfolding as it should. If I accept that the universe is unfolding as it should, that understanding would bring comfort and encouragement. I need to come to that understanding. Since we've established that we're significant entities living in and contributing to the universe, we are participants in this unfolding and will forever continue to be. We can harness this knowledge to work for us. Living is complicated. It doesn't happen in a vacuum – it happens in the universe. When we bring the universe into our perception, we look to be inspired to do good and guided to what is good. We look for good to come to us. We become comfortable in our humility and in our existence. We become assured that whether or not it is clear to us, no doubt, the universe is unfolding as it should. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
17. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. Wow! The affirmation of this instruction is powerful! We are children of the universe... and we have a right to be here. it is right that we're here. Just like the trees and the stars, we have intrinsic value and we're precious to the universe. The deed is done. You have a right to be here, I have a right to be here, we all have a right to be here. If we accept this, we accept, with respect and without judgment, everyone's intrinsic value and right to be here. Our living experiences affirm that we have a right to be here. The work we do in our careers - our P.R.I.V.I. The lives we touch. The good we do. The love we share. I find this knowledge awesome, sobering and empowering. I'm here; therefore, I have a right to be here. Being resolved in my mind, I take refuge in that affirming thought. Through out our lives we decide how to use this powerful right. Sometimes we find ourselves in a struggle with using this power. Situations will affect the degree to which we want to exert our right to be here. We'll feel challenged. Stepping up to these challenges establishes our right to be here. We don't anticipate, expect or like these challenges; nevertheless, how we choose to confront these challenges is the lesson - the living experience. The universe is unimaginably vast. One might say the universe is infinite. When we perceive the universe as infinite, we correspondingly see ourselves as infinitesimal, which we are. This is, and should be, a humbling reality; however, infinitesimal is not synonymous with inconsequential, unimportant. There is no escaping that in spite of our being infinitesimal, we are still children of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, who have a right to be here. We are crucial. We have intrinsic value. We have a role in the universe. We are living to fulfill the responsibility of having a right to be here. I believe we're up to that. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
16. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. In Desiderata commentary #13, I wrote about my spiritual regimen which established the foundation of my “wholesome discipline.” This was, and still is, my absolute favorite instruction. It gave me permission to be patient with myself while working toward being the person I was meant to be. I could still be self-critical, but didn't have to let it immobilize my progress, stunt my empowerment, or debilitate me. Over a period of years, step by step, I eventually established a wholesome discipline. The health areas of my life that required discipline were healthy eating, physical condition, psychological, emotional, professional, spiritual, financial, mothering. This instruction brought to mind the saying, “When we feel the burn, we know it's working.”, particularly in physical exercise. Let's be real. An exercise regimen is difficult enough to establish and maintain without discerning how much pain we are obligated to inflict upon ourselves. Who wants that? If we're not gentle with ourselves, why would we expect others to be more genteel to us than we are to ourselves? Or to be kinder or more tolerant of us than we are to ourselves? To expect them to affirm on a daily basis that we have intrinsic value, although they have no clue as to our secret insecurities? Being gentle with ourselves is loving ourselves unconditionally while accepting our imperfections. This allows us to take the time to examine these flaws or imperfections to re-frame them as strengths. We can recognize that there will be times when we can use those traits powerfully and effectively. The same is true with our insecurities. We need to accept our insecurities as having a function until we can securely say otherwise. This doesn't preclude us from examining those insecurities to figure out how they originated and whether or not they're valid. Finally, what really stands out for me in this instruction is that it gives us permission to put ourselves first. Not in a selfish self-centered way, but as an example to demonstrate to others what it looks like to be gentle with oneself while practicing a wholesome discipline. It's never too late to incorporate this salient, empowering instruction into our living. We can promise ourselves to be our own BFF rather than our own worst enemy. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons, Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
15. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. It's our responsibility to disengage when we're feeling fatigued; and to reengage when we're feeling lonely. Our objective is to re-energize and regenerate. Our ability to disengage when fatigued and reengage when lonely is a precious power that enables us to fully be our best selves. We can choose to isolate ourselves for a period. We may decide to disengage physically, mentally or emotionally in order to gain a right perspective. We can choose to focus on an area that we've been neglecting to develop while disengaging in other areas. When we're ready to abandon the loneliness, we can choose to reengage with an enhanced understanding of our ability to not let fear overwhelm us. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness, but not all fears. Sometimes, seeming out of nowhere, I've had a feeling of acute, unsettling dread come over me catching me totally off guard. Not only that, it's confusing because it comes when I'm in a neutral to euphoric state of mind. I sit with the feeling and ponder it to relieve the stress. After giving it my consideration, I then sit in the feeling of gratitude for each amazing moment I've lived and am living. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is a 1927 prose poem. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things")
14. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. To say the world has become more complicated since the penning of the Desiderata in 1927 is an obvious understatement. Distress over dark imaginings was a hazard then and it's a hazard today. This instruction tells us that dark imaginings will happen and can be stressful if we allow them to be. Now, we all have imaginings; however, when we start having dark imaginings, that's not good. It's our responsibility to determine their origin and deal with them. We know what we consider to be dark imaginings. We take a situation, or a thought, or a rejection and begin to imagine the worst. We conjure up a scenario that hasn't happened yet, make it real and then distress over it. If the reason for conjuring up this dark imagining is to prepare ourselves for the worst in order to come up with solutions, or to strengthen our spiritual shield, then the purpose is to ease the stress. That's healthy. We're recognizing it and dealing with it. Dark imaginings stem from fear. Fear is a legitimate emotion that we shouldn't ignore or belittle. If we ignore our fears, we are robbing ourselves of self-understanding. We eliminate the opportunity to be courageous. We undermine our strength of spirit. Thank you for reading. What are your thoughts? Dedicated to my sons Jibri and Chris, my privilege and blessing. EcwmB |
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Established: April, 2015 by co-founders: Eunice Beck and Doris Hale Copyright © 2015