Desiderata

Go placidly amid 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 to 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 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 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.

Max Ehrmann

a touch of spring

The cold winter has gone
The air becomes mild and soft
And it is as though the bright sun
Smiles at us directly.

changing season

"By observing the changing seasons, the shifting clouds, and the ever creative dance of plants and animals, we can recognize our own essential nature in the rhythms of outer nature. We create a changing world inside ourselves in order to begin to understand the world outside" Dennis Kloceck.

Beyond Bingo: Art Therapy for the Elderly

Art Therapy: Be the Change You Want to See

When the Soul listens....

When the Soul listens, it already speaks a language that lives.
The softest of whispers have language and meaning:
Leaves in the trees chattering with one another,
Currents in the streams,
Clapping loudly and in agreement,
Wind and rain and clouds,
Whisper of God’s holy feet,
Speaking and revealing
The deep hidden Word so sweet,
When the Soul listens….

Guido Gezelle
(freely translated from Dutch)

art

Art does not reflect the visible, art makes visible the invisible.
(Paul Klee)