There are times when the noise and the haste of this world we live in drag me down, and it is at those times I remember what peace there may be in silence. But I often allow the silence to become a hiding place. I sometimes see my withdrawal as a good thing, but at other times I see it is not a good way to deal with the confusion and chaos of this life. When I pull away and retreat within myself, I tend to feign affection, and become cynical about love.
But I am learning. I’m learning to nurture strength of spirit to shield myself in in the times of calamity, disappointment and sometimes sudden misfortune. I’m also learning to not distress myself with dark imaginings, which has been my habit for too many years. I have come to realize that many of my fears are born of fatigue and loneliness; fatigue the more prevalent of the two. But the loneliness—I cannot deny it—is there. And, again, it is something I have—sometimes unaware—chosen to be.
And so, I continue to learn. I’m learning to be gentle with myself and learning that though it is sometimes not clear to me, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. I strive to be at peace with God and have peace in my soul. For within the noisy confusion of life, with all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, there remains a beautiful world. And so, I will choose to be cheerful. I will strive to be happy.
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. … Psalm 23: 1-6
Please note: This writing was inspired by the poem “Desiderata”, which was written by Max Ehrmann. You can read his poem it in my previous post:
You can also listen to a beautiful recording of the poem by Les Crane, by clicking here:
And please visit my blog to see my other writings, including my inspirational books:
Thank you.
I came across “Desiderata”, an early 1920s prose poem by the American writer Max Ehrmann, sometime in the 70s. I was astounded then by its beautifully written, simple, yet profound message, and remain so today.
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