To Lose

Francisco Candido Xavier

May God not permit me to lose my ROMANTICISM

though knowing that roses do not speak.

 

That I do not lose my OPTIMISM

though knowing that the future that awaits us is not a happy one.

 

That I do not lose my WILL TO LIVE

though knowing that life is, in many moments, painful.

 

That I do not lose my interest in MAKING GOOD FRIENDS

though knowing that, as the world turns,

they wind up departing from our lives.

 

That I do not lose the will to HELP PEOPLE

though knowing that many of them are unable to see,

to recognise and to return the help.

 

That I do not lose my EQUILIBRIUM

though knowing that countless forces desire my downfall.

 

That I do not lose the WILL TO LOVE

though knowing that the person that I love best,

may not share the same feelings for me.

 

That I do not lose the LIGHT and the BRILLIANCE OF MY EYES

though knowing that many things that I will see in the world,

will darken my vision.

 

That I do not lose my ENTHUSIASM

though knowing that defeat and loss are two extremely

dangerous adversaries.

 

That I do not lose my REASONING

though knowing that the temptations of life are countless and delightful.

 

That I do not lose the SENSE OF JUSTICE

though knowing that the one harmed could be me.

 

That I do not lose the STRENGTH OF MY EMBRACE

though aware that one day my arms will be weak.

 

That I do not lose the BEAUTY and the HAPPINESS OF SIGHT

though knowing that a lot of tears will drop from my eyes

and flow from my soul.

 

That I do not lose the LOVE FOR MY FAMILY

though knowing that many times it would demand incredible

efforts on my part to maintain its harmony.

 

That I do not lose the will of GIVING THIS TREMENDOUS LOVE

that exists in my heart,

though knowing that often it will be subjected and even rejected.

 

That I do not lose the will to be GREAT,

though knowing that the world is small.

And above all...

 

That I never forget that God loves me infinitely,

that a small grain of happiness and hope within each one of us

is capable of changing and transforming anything,

because LIFE is CONSTRUCTED in our DREAMS

and is SUMMED UP IN LOVE!

If

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master,
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

Desiderata

Max Ehrmann

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 the 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 the 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.

The Invitation

Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love, for your dreams,
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain,
mine or your own, without moving to hide it
or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy mine or your own.
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy
fill you to the tips of your fingers
and toes without cautioning us
to be careful, be realistic,
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty every day,
and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,“Yes.”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live,
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what
or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company
you keep in the empty moments.

Back (again) by popular demand!

Why be the pirates when you can be the navy?
Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple

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