Desiderata - For The Aquarian Age
Go quietly amid the noise and haste of our world and remember what peace there is in silence. As far as possible and without surrendering your ideals and self-respect, try to be on good terms with everybody. Speak your truth quietly and clearly. Those who are ready for it will understand. Anyone who does not may do so later. Let them be. Listen to the people around you and you are sure to find that there is no such thing as a dull person and that even the seemingly dull ones can teach you something. Loud and aggressive folks are vexations to the spirit and are best avoided at all cost.
Everybody is gifted in some special way, so be neither vain nor bitter about your talents. Although they are as special as anyone else’s, there will always be someone who is better or worse at certain things than you are. Waste no time on comparing yourself with others, but enjoy your own plans and achievements, hopes and dreams. Above all remain interested in life and diligently apply yourself to whatever tasks are given to you. However humble they may sometimes appear to you, they are a precious possession in the changing fortunes of time and will always be a valuable contribution to the wholeness of our world.
Even though there is still much trickery in our world, let that not blind you to the fact that there is just as much virtue. Be honest and fair in all your dealings and in everything you do never forget that whatever we send into our world unerringly finds its way back to us. Many strive for high ideals, but do not overlook that it often requires greater heroism to live our daily lives, trusting that things will change and really get better, that all is well with us and our world and that with the help and will of God and the Angels all things are possible and miracles do happen.
Above all, be yourself. Never feign affection or be cynical in matters of the heart. In spite of all the aridity and disenchantment of our world, love is the law of life. It is the eternal evergreen of the Universe. Never allow it to die in your heart but do your best to love. Any love given will always return in some way, even though it often does not look like it. Only through life’s tests and trials, ups and downs can the capacity of our love nature mature and deepen. Therefore, take the counsel of the years with kindness and surrender the things of youth with grace. Nurture and develop your spiritual strength in good times, so it can act as your shield when the going gets rough.
Do not distress yourself with imaginings and bear in mind that fatigue and loneliness are the cause of many fears. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. Know that you are a beloved child of the Universe, no less than the trees and the stars, that we all have a right to be here, because everybody has their particular lessons to learn, and that – whether we are aware of it or not – the great Universal plan rests safely in God’s hands and is unfolding as it should.
Make peace with your soul and our Creator, whatever this means to you. And bear in mind that in our understanding of the Divine each one of us stands alone. We are all responsible for ourselves and the state of our world. Each through their own efforts has to save and redeem themselves and their own soul. No-one can do it on our behalf. And whatever your aspirations in the noisy confusion of daily life may be, make an effort to find your soul’s purpose and do your best to fulfil it. This alone can bring peace with ourselves and God.
Refuse to pay undue attention to the sham, drudgery and broken dreams that to this day are an essential part of the lessons we and our world have to learn, for they too serve a wise and higher purpose. Know that all of it is part of one of our world’s evolutionary phases that will pass. Instead of falling into depression, remain as positive as you can by focussing on the mystery, magic and wonders of our beautiful world. Look for the wisdom and love behind the surface of life that brings everything into being and maintains it. Enjoy what it offers and be content with your lot. Never lose your optimism about the good outcome of everything that still has to take place in our world before the great transition from one age to another is complete. Rest safely in the knowledge that we and our world are secure in the loving hands of God and the Angels, and that because of this everything is sure to turn out well in the end.
Max Ehrmann 1872-1945
Edited by Aquarius
The above is a chapter from ‘The Spiritual Aspects Of Depression And Suicide’
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‘The Spiritual Aspects Of Depression And Suicide’