Desiderata

[fiftysomething]

"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...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; for the world is full of trickery...Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass...Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth...Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness...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...With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."
-Max Ehrmann (1927)