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Guardians
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. — Max Ehrmann, The Desiderata How often do we consider protecting our spirit? We use sunscreen on our bodies; limit what our minds encounter through ratings and reviews. But our spirits, delicate and resilient, require a different type of care. In this verse, Ehrmann instructs us to guard against loud and aggressive people. Yesterday at Target, a woman was having words with her child. She was several rows away, but her tone was notable. I observed myself becoming more attentive to my surroundings and beckoning my daughter closer. It was a primal response to danger. Involuntarily, we avoid loud,…
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Quiet and Clear
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story. — Max Ehrmann, The Desiderata Everyone has a story. Some are beautiful; some are funny. Some are painful and even tragic. Most life stories contain all of these elements in their turn. As humans, we are storytellers. It’s how we inform one another about who we are and who we want to be. Inherent in the creation of our narrative comes the need for it to be heard. From PhDs to Pinterest, the world is full of references to our need for attention, approval, acceptance, allowing, and affection. Acknowledgement is my…
