Sunday Inspiration: Be gentle

Be gentle

“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 whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Try to be happy.” -Max Ehrmann

Most of us know and love this as Desiderata, which for years no one attributed to Ehrmann. The first time I heard it as a teenager–Leonard Nimoy read it on the Mike Douglas or Merv Griffin show–I got chills.

Now I find this to be a useful affirmation to say to myself from time to time: “Be gentle with yourself…”  I also find that it’s much easier to be gentle with others when I am gentle with me.

I am much more likely to keep peace in my soul when I remember that we are all children of the universe and this is still a beautiful world in spite of all that is not beautiful. Are you?

 

2 Comments

  1. Terry Guerra on January 29, 2017 at 7:04 am

    Be gentle with yourself…I love this! Something all of us should try for in our daily lives. Thank you, Emilie. This has given me a boost today.

  2. Janet Warren on January 31, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    So true! I love this.

Leave a Comment