I was first introduced to the Desiderata while still in High School. It became my battled cry and source of inspiration each time I slaved over homework, since there was a poster of it over my desk at the time. I remember sitting back in my chair, stretching my back and reading the passages over and over, and it was helped discern what I wanted to study in university and do with my life. Journalism was the chosen path and I had lofty ideas of becoming a war correspondent.
Things change as they often do in life, and I ended up taking a very different path, so during my uni years I discovered the sense of service to community and society, so the Desiderata became my anthem for everything I undertook those years, coming fully to serving the poor and marginalised in whatever capacity.
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.
Then came motherhood and the series of identity crisis that I underwent, moving from development worker to translator, photographer and writer. The Desiderata was my beacon as I floundered about the shores of insecurity, desperately trying to find my authentic self while fulfilling all my other obligations.
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.
Menopause, divorce and more relocations followed, and I found myself reading the Desiderata from the perspective of a middle-aged woman who had to start all over again and rebuild her life from scratch.
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.
Here I am, over 40 years after first reading the Desiderata, about to commence a new trip around the sun in a few days, in full acceptance and celebrating being a recluse, but very much at peace with God and the Universe.
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.
I look back at the Desiderata and realise that it has been my life story all along, but I could not have foreseen this at 15. Its impact on my life and soul has changed with each stage and transition, and the constancy and timelessness of the words are priceless. Here it is again in its entirety:
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 the 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 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 with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952
Click HERE for the German version, and HERE for Spanish
The lesson for me has been to not lose myself in the storm, and to remember that one must always strive to be happy, even if being cheerful is not always easy. I’ve written about this over and over, but I never tire of saying it. The secret to a good journey through life is to travel light, so travel light and learn to let go of that which no longer serves you today.
Strive to age joyfully, and not painfully or filled with regrets.
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