A Look at Desiderata – Day Two

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

This simple verse has so much to say. The first line incorporates the ever important “Golden Rule” but it adds “without surrender”. The author understood that you can not give what you do not have. To give honor and respect, you must honor and respect yourself first.

Being on good terms with all persons, means those from your present, your past and those with whom you are building a future.

Resentment and anger are powerful peace stealers. If there is anything or anyone you need to forgive and forget, in your past, do so. This is not to benefit the “other person”. You can not hold on to peace without freeing yourself of these restrictions.

To be in integrity with others, you must first be in integrity with yourself. As such, you must speak your truth. Resentment will grow in the person who is incapable of speaking their truth. This is a seed you do not want growing in your consciousness.

Everyone has something to teach. As I have stated before, everyone is my teacher. Perhaps what they offer me, when I am the willing student, is not the same as they intend, but everyone has something to teach me. Listen with your ears, heart and eyes open. Make this your daily practice. As we do unto the least of us, so we do unto ourselves.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.

While everyone has something to teach us, that does not mean we are going to beat our head against the wall trying to learn what that is. Sometimes the lesson is simply that I have better things to do with my time than to engage with certain individuals.

Respecting yourself means saying “no” to that which does not serve you. For me, I choose not to spend my time with those who drain my energy, (at least most of the time).

Sometimes circumstances dictate being in the presence of those energetic parasites that, knowingly or unwittingly, seem to suck our very life-force away from us. Even when we find ourselves “stuck” in those situations, we can use it as a test of our ability to remain in a peace-filled state.

Every circumstance can be viewed as a learning experience.