DESIDERATA 
by Max Ehrmann 


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. 
Avoid loud and aggressive persons. 
They are vexations of 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 perennial as 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 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 and drudgery and broken dreams, 
it is still a beautiful world. 
Be careful. Strive to be happy. 






DESIDERATA II 

(An attachment of the first) 

In whatever religion you have been taught, 
however you have been brought up and 
however you have understood your teachers.... 
on these levels you will understand 
and grasp this message. It is not enough that 
this message be believed. It is a message to be lived. 
The essence of Universal Religion is 
Peace and Truth, with Love for, and Kindness to all 
the creatures of the earth. 
Now is the time to express this essence in 
your own life. A beginning must be made, 
and the place to begin is with and in yourself. 
You would reform the world? Begin with yourself, 
Brother!! The message of the unreformed reformer 
seldom inspires reformation. The heart of all religion 
is Love. And Righteousness, which is love in action, 
is the fulfillment of religion. Love not only family 
and friends!! - for love limited is love denied. 
Seek peace within yourself and seek, too, 
within yourself the Divine Breath of Life. 
Persist in these things!! The Spirit finds in you its agent 
and also its partner, and to the degree that you 
are aware of this, and act on it, your life is enriched. 
A revelation will occur to you....a revelation 
higher than your most exalted dreams. 
The New Age is coming and in it there will be 
a realization of the Oneness of all. 
Differences between the various religions will disappear. 
The good, which is in each one of them, will be fused and 
will become the common goal of all mankind. 
Know that you have the power to choose gentleness, 
not violence, choose holiness, not evil. 
Dare to believe that the Reign of Love and Peace 
is coming soon. Ready yourself for it! 
Ready yourself for it with deeds of righteousness. 
Righteousness is the door opener, 
and beyond the door is love. 
May Divine Power enter every aspect of your life, 
endowing it with rewards of material accomplishments, 
the treasures of purposeful existence and the eternal light 
of spiritual achievement.