DESIDERATA - 'Placid' but don't sit back...

Desiderata

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 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 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 critical 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 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 careful. Strive to be happy.
© Max Ehrmann 1927
 
When I was in secondary school, my friends and I loved this song, especially the chorus.

But as time went by, and we all grew up, and entered the competitive working world, we could not even follow the first 2 words -- 'Go Placidly'.  Perhaps the writer lived very long ago when life was less materialistic and a slower pace was the norm.  In modern Singapore, life is a rush from the moment we wake up in the morning; and worrying about bills bills bills, plus how to please the boss and demanding customers.

So in today's context, the content of Desiderata is only partially correct.

What is Correct:

Therefore be at peace with God.
Whatever your religious persuasion, be at peace with your God or gods.  He (or they) nourishes your soul.  He is there for you and listens to you when you talk to Him.  While you labour to meet you physical needs, He is there to meet your spiritual needs.  Meeting both physical needs and spiritual needs makes you whole.

What is Not Correct:

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
We are children of God, placed in the Universe. (So sad if you do not believe in God the Creator - you missed the experience of spiritual love.)  God is the potter, we are the clay.  God is the creator, we are the created.  Being created, we have no rights.  Who we are, and whatever we have, is a privilege not a right.

Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Today, there are many places on earth where love is not 'perennial as the grass'.  You see it in the news almost everyday.  Many are living in hellish circumstances.  People are dying in Yemen because of  senseless terrorist attacks. Gunmen simply went to a school and shot dead 150 students. Women died in childbirth because there was no aid or medical aid, or selfless medical workers were brutally killed.  To many who were unfortunate, it's more than aridity and disenchantment.  The reality is that 'love' never reached them. To many, it was not 'a beautiful world'..

Today, the world needs to resolutely fight for peace.  Can there be 'placidity' when brutal killings and massacres are facing humankind everyday?

The truth is, the world is no longer placid.  At the individual level, you can be placid for only a brief moment, but not for long.  Do not languish in placidity.  Do our part. Do something real to make a better world.