Remember this?

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.

A day is made sacred when you use it to do your spiritual work, to practice right relationship in all your ways.

Be Who You Are

A Dream

Sitting at my laptop thinking about what to write this early morning...I've been awake since 4am...I fell asleep for a moment and had this brief dream. In the dream, I am the "me" and also witnessing everything from a larger perspective. I see myself walking on a path in a dark green forest. I turn to see a huge cat following me, a mountain lion maybe. The cat leaps forward to chase me, and I remain still and give myself this advice: "It's better not to run." And then I wake up.

It's better not to run. Sometimes this is true. We need to know when to run from danger and when to stand still in the face of danger. In order to know what to do we must listen to that still small voice within...this means taking time to listen...it means knowing our self...as Shakespeare counseled, to thine own self be true...

We cannot be true to our own self unless we know ourself. Otherwise, we may end up being true to someone's else's idea of who we should be. We may be easily led away from our true self, easily influenced by opinions that are not in keeping with our real nature.

As Proverbs 4:5-9 advises, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Understanding ourself, our  true nature, brings the greatest wisdom. Overall, it is better that we not run from anything that arises within us--that we face and seek to understand our inner world. 

Photo by Gary Cook

Happy New Year 2019

The New Year is a Time of Mending and Melding:
The Elders Need the Young, and The Young Need Their Elders
*********************

Long ago, the child of ‘the new year’ was born, when the dark is lifting and the light of day is growing and remaining with us longer. Named Dionysus, the infant was carried about by the old men Silenus and Hermes.

The child, the God in all things, represented bright new life, fresh imagination, sunny impetuosity, joyous spirit without end.

The old man who carried the child in his arms as his protector, represented the senex, that is, the old wise man; the one who had lived long, who knew the preciousness of new life, the locations of the ‘trip and fall-down’ places, the detours and long-cuts, the underground pathways through.

Back in the day, the child and the old man were not separate ideas, but one. The older one did not die in order to be replaced by the younger. Instead, they represented a hieros gamos of sorts, a sacred union. They are the two critical aspects of inner nature, that when melded together by inquiry, plans laid, and actions taken, created a third: a more conscious and awakened psyche.

One without the other, creative life without the long view, wisdom without action of invention, could cause each to falter, eventually go awry, then sicken and die… for lack of their life’s work in balance with one another… enthusiasm and a reliable over-and-inner sight.

In modern time, many older persons remain in high spirit by creating deep friendships with the very young, and/or with ideas and attitudes that carry fresh vitality. Many of the young feel they are living in the shelter of a mountain, because they are near the heart of an elder who is reasonably aged and wise in love, loyalty, praise and prescience.

As a pair, the wise old one and the newly born potential are the essence of creative power that can make ideas manifest through deliberate actions… much needed in our world, so that decent wishes can become manifest in progressions through ‘inspirited’ and focused actions.

Inspired by: Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Mark Twain

"Nothing exists. All is a dream.
God—man—the world—the sun, the moon, the wilderness
of stars—a dream, all a dream; they have no existence.
Nothing exists save empty space—And you.…
And you are not you—you have no body, no blood, no
bones, you are but a thought."

—Mark Twain, 'The Mysterious Stranger'