Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

S6 E 20: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Some poems ask us to think. Others ask us to feel. A very few become lifelong companions.

Desiderata, written by Max Ehrmann in 1927, is one of those enduring works. Its quiet wisdom has been shared across generations, offering gentle reminders about peace, kindness, humility, courage, and hope. In a world that often seems hurried and uncertain, these words continue to invite us to slow down and remember what truly matters.

Today, I would like to share a simple recitation of this beloved poem. Rather than analysing its meaning, I invite you simply to listen. Perhaps a line will speak to you differently than it has before. Perhaps you will hear something you need today.

The photographs accompanying this reading were taken during a walk through Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, British Columbia—a place whose quiet beauty seemed a fitting companion to Ehrmann’s timeless words.

Thank you for spending these few moments in Rebecca’s Reading Room.

Rebecca

Desiderate 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 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.

Photography by Rebecca Budd

Location Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, British Columbia

Music by Epidemic Sound

Yonder Dale "We Carry On"

https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/5ebe8dfb-5a21-307a-84e7-a8ed973dacee/