Sumpin' Witty

Be bold, be brave. Be loud and obnoxious. Be fearful and timid. Make waves, start fires, cause a commotion. Be anything but nice. Be compassionate and have passion. Be cunning and charismatic. Be sarcastic. Be rude. Say things that make people uncomfortable. Start awkward conversations. Laugh loudly. Tell jokes and stories. Laugh at your own jokes. Shake hands firmly with those you meet. Talk to strangers at parties. Memorize random facts to tell others. Be reliable and dependable or be flaky and flighty. Be punctual or always be late. Say yes to invitations. Show up with presents. Be outspoken or soft spoken, but be heard. Make your point and leave it at that. Listen closely and attentively to others. Be anything but nice. Be blunt and direct. Be romantic. Recite poetry. Sing loudly and off-key. Be caring and kind. Give people homemade gifts. Be flirtatious and funky. Wear costumes as often as possible and speak with fake accents and give fake names at parties. Be rowd...

A dear friend of mine recently shared this poem with me. It was written in 1927 by the poet and philosopher Max Ehrmann, although he did not receive credit nor acclaim for it until much later. My friend gave me the poem and said she uses it in times when she needs to be reminded of certain ideals and ways to live life. Max Ehrmann wrote it for himself "because it counsels those virtues I felt myself most in need of." Funny how almost 100 years later this poem is still aptly fitting to life. I can't stop reading it myself, so I thought I would share it with you. Desiderata Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible and 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 vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you...