Manifesting with the Law of Attraction

Desiderata: A Poem About Living

We have seen it framed and hung on somebody’s wall. We have studied it school. We have admired its simply penned words and the no-nonsense pieces of advice it contains.

Desiderata is a guide to living life and living happy. It actually says what our common sense is always telling us. There are no frills, just truths and facts about living.

Desiderata was written by Max Ehrmann. He was a lawyer from Indiana. Ehrmann did not even gain popularity from Desiderata while he was alive.

It used to be a popular belief that the author of the poem is unknown and that it was found in an old church in Baltimore, Maryland. This version certainly gave the Desiderata an air of mystery. It just makes one wonder who could have written such a poem so full of wisdom. What kind of a man was he? Unfortunately very little is known about Ehrmann.

Desiderata (things you desire)

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.

Desiderata: The Lessons

• Maintain good relationships with people.

• Accept who you are and be proud of who you are.

• You are here because you are meant to be here.

• Use your best judgment when dealing with people.

• Go with the flow.

• There is no point hating God.

• You may have loved and lost, but you will lose more if you think you can’t love anymore.

• Love truly.

• Age gracefully.

• Develop strength of character and persistence.

• Most fears are just products of the imagination.

• Always speak the truth and learn to listen to other people.

• Keep a peaceful and relaxed of mind.

• You are a very important part of this universe. Without you, it would have been a different place.

• Despite the negative things, this is still a beautiful world.

• Be happy.

Desiderata: Favorite Lines

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”

Most people are unhappy and insecure because they do not appreciate who they are. They strive to be another person whom they consider is perfect. We are all born different and unique. No two persons are alike. Even identical twins who are technically one person divided into two while still a zygote, are different.

The problem is we have come to accept “labels”. Our society has a standard of what a “beautiful face” should be, what a “sexy body” should be. We have come to accept that the physical and material are the most important factors that measure a person’s worth.

And so enviousness, and jealousy arise. We develop insecurities and low self esteem which hinder our own success and happiness. It becomes a vicious cycle as the more we fail, the more we become jealous and unhappy.

“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.”

I like this line because it is a message of hope.

NOTE: Share your favorite lines from Desiderata. Use the comment form below.

Related article: Desiderata in Life – Desiderata as interpreted in a manifesting perspective.

Except for the words of the poem, everything else is by Joann Ang of LifeMagick.net. Be sure to include this resource box at the end of the article if you reprint and/or republish this in your blogs, websites, ezines, ebooks and in printed works.

Tags: desiderata, Life, max ehrmann

Desiderata

Desiderata means “the things you desire”

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

Meditate. Take some time to block away the constant chatter in your mind. There are always thoughts passing through it about so many things at the same time. These are haphazard thoughts and will cause needless worries and the inability to concentrate. Relax, release your worries even for just 30 minutes and think about one single positive thought. If you can, maintain silence “in” there. You will find it refreshing. You will feel renewed and revitalized. There is nothing to compare with the feelings of finding solace within your mind. There is perfection in there. Everything is as you wish them to and as you will them to be.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.

Do not bear grudges. If you do, you are allowing other persons to take control of your life. Every time you see them you are forced to do something you wouldn’t have done. They can make you angry and ruin your day. Forgive and be free. Whatever that person did that you considered wrong will never be right even if you hate him/her for a very long time. Your life is in your hand, you are powerful beyond comprehension, take charge or others will do it for you. Most of all forgive yourself.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others.
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Affirm every chance you get. Repetition is the key to make changes and to manifest your desires. Say positive things about yourself and about the things you want. Say it loud and clear for yourself to hear. And do not waste your words on gossips and negative observations. Speak only what you truly mean. Keep your promises and never promise what you can’t keep. Listen and hear other people. There are messages for you everywhere. Messages that will lead you towards the fulfillment of your goals. People seemingly not connected to you may have the key to the doors you want to open. So be receptive.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

Be careful with whom you confide your desires to. As much as possible keep it to yourself. Some people tend to be negative or jealous.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

If you look at yourself relative to another person, you cannot get your true measure. Each one of us is a unique individual and comes in different sizes and packaging. Big or small we are all important. Take for example the anatomy of our body. There is no doubt that the bones are found everywhere. It is found in your head down to your toes. The kidneys are much smaller in size and coverage, and they are not even as hard as the bones. However, you cannot downplay the importance of the kidneys. Some people made that mistake and they are all bones right now and resting fix feet below the ground! We cannot all be made equal in everything or there is no point in living anymore.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

They say “Life is a journey not a destination.” Be happy with successfully manifesting your desires, but have fun during the manifesting efforts as well. It is by believing that your wish has already been granted that you will truly manifest your desire. It is by getting so frustrated and forcing its realization that your desire will elude you all the more. Every time you are successful (not just in manifesting), give thanks heartily. You will attract more of the same grateful energy.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Enjoy and appreciate what you have now. It is okay to have wants and goals, but learn to value what you have now. Blessings come forth to those who know how to value them.

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.

Always look at things positively and always look for the goodness in people. This may be a tall order if you have been betrayed or you have experienced injustice before. However, if you keep a negative mind-set, your life will be full of negative energy leading to stress, stress, & stress. So keep the positive things in mind, and you will have more of the same.

Be yourself.

This is the best advice.

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.

Love is the most powerful energy of all. Give it to all people you meet. Give it to the stranger who sat beside you in the bus, give it to a friend whom you know to be suffering at this moment, give it also to the one who is celebrating. Give it to the one who is angry, to the one who is frowning, & most of all to your enemies. It does not mean you will fall in love with them but it means radiating a positive energy by sending them wonderful thoughts or offering a prayer for them.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Start small and until you are confident enough to manifest bigger things. Continue learning and continue manifesting. Learn how to distinguish what you want and what you need. We often want something and realize later that we do not really need it. Be wise with your choices.

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.

They say the FEAR means Forever Experiencing Another Reality. The energy of fear will stop your manifesting process dead on its track. If you fear something, there is no place for a positive thought in your mind. Examine your fear. Why do you fear it? You maybe magnifying things out of proportion. Or some things may just have to be freed.

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.

Love yourself. You can only embrace abundance if you deem yourself worthy of such. How can you say you deserve it if you do not love yourself and you have a low opinion of yourself?

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,

However you see it, everything is as it should be. Once you send out your intention to the universe, do not force it but rather be peaceful and trust that it has been received. The universe will not stop in its track and change everything just to accommodate you, remember there are other people too. It has millions of ways and means to give you what you want. It may not be in the manner you envision it to be, but the result is the same.

and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

Faith will keep you at peace. After sending your desire, let it go. If you are planting a seed, let it grow.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Erhmann, Copyright 1952.

Original text of Desiderata (written in bold) by Max Erhmann.

The interpretation is my own.

Reposting and terms of distribution.

Text of the interpretation Copyright (c) 2006-2009 Joann Ang. Some rights reserved. The article above may be distributed, reposted on websites or printed on ebooks as long as Joann Ang’s resource box is included. All links must NOT be altered, must be functional and must point to the author’s homepage. Click the link to get the resource box.

Desiderata in Life by
Joann Ang is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

To those who wish to post the entire article in their websites: The manifesting interpretation is my original composition. I do not claim the copyright to the text of the poem, you can publish it all you want. However, if you include my interpretation, you have to follow my distribution terms.

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Tags: desiderata, haphazard thoughts, positive thought, silence