Desiderata: 16 Life Lessons for Clarity, Strength, and Inner Peace—While Living Your Best Life in a Chaotic World

By Alan Lowis.

Desiderata is an ancient Latin word that means “things desired,” “things we long for,” or “things worthy of being admired.”

Its root phrase—de sidere—literally means “from the stars” (from sidus, sideris: “heavenly body, star, or constellation”).

It suggests that our deepest desires don’t come from craving or ego—but from something higher. From the heavens above. From God. From the Universe. From the Infinite.

📜 Desiderata

by Max Ehrmann (1927)

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 to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

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

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or 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;f

or 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 in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

🌿 16 Life Lessons from Desiderata

Max Ehrmann didn’t just write a poem.

He left behind a guide—a compass for the heart,a quiet code for living with strength, grace, and presence.

Here are 16 core teachings that live within his words:

1. Seek Peace in a World of Chaos

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste…”

Even when the world is loud, confusing, and fast—be still inside.

In silence and calm, you find your center. You find your strength.

2. Be Good. Treat People Well.

“Be on good terms with all persons…”

Live the Golden Rule. Love your neighbor.

Be someone you’d trust with your own heart.

3. Speak Your Truth—Kindly

“Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen…”

Say what’s real. Say it with clarity and care.

And listen deeply, even to those others overlook.

4. Choose Your Circle Wisely

“Avoid loud and aggressive persons…”

You become like the people you surround yourself with.

Stay close to those who lift you—and help you rise.

5. Don’t Compare—It Will Steal Your Joy

“If you compare yourself with others…”

There will always be someone “better” or “worse.”

Comparison poisons contentment.

Gratitude restores it.

6. Pursue Purpose—Not Just Success

“Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans…”

Work with heart. Be productive with meaning.

Let your life serve something greater than ambition.

7. See the Good—Even in a Broken World

“Life is full of heroism…”

Don’t ignore the darkness—but look for the light.

Look for the quiet heroes. Become one.

8. Be Real. Be True. Be Loving.

“Be yourself… neither be cynical about love…”

Don’t fake affection. Don’t give up on love. It’s all around you. It's everywhere.

9. Let Go of Attachment—Flow with Life

“Take kindly the counsel of the years…”

Don’t cling to youth, or titles, or roles.

Everything changes. Let life evolve—and let yourself evolve with it.

10. Don’t Let Fear Rule You

“Do not distress yourself with dark imaginings…”

Fear distorts truth.

Courage clears the way.

Stand strong in your spirit. Hope and act boldly.

11. Discipline with Compassion

“Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself…”

Be strong—but not harsh.

Strive—but rest.

Push yourself to improve but with kindness and mercy.

12. You Are a Child of the Universe

“You have a right to be here…”

You are not random.

You are worthy.

You belong.

13. Life Is Happening for You, Not to You

“Whether or not it is clear to you…”

Even in confusion, life is unfolding with meaning.

Trust the process, even when you don’t understand it yet.

14. Stay Connected to the Divine—However You Define It

“Be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be…”

You are the ocean in a drop. Everything happens for a reason and can serve you if you keep and open heart.

15. Find the Beauty in Everything

“It is still a beautiful world…”

No matter the pain, the injustice, or the disappointment—

There is still music. Still love. Still wonder.

Look, and you will find it.

16. Be Cheerful. Strive to Be Happy.

“Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

Happiness is not a prize for perfection.

It is your natural state. Your quiet right.

Let joy return—and when it does, let it stay.

What Do We Truly Desire?

Ask your soul—not your ego—and the answers start to shift.

What we truly desire is:

• Connection—real closeness, not curated images or approval metrics
  

• Love—given and received freely, not earned or feared or withheld
  

• Clarity/Certainty—about who we are, what we stand for, and where we’re going
  

• Purpose—a sense that your life matters, that your existence is meaningful
  

• Freedom—not the freedom to escape responsibility, but the freedom to live aligned with your values
  

• Peace—the kind that doesn’t depend on noise disappearing, but on being centered in the middle of it
  

• Grace—to be imperfect, to grow, to fall and rise again with dignity

  
  

These are desiderata. The true things to be sought.

Not what fills our closets— but what fills our spirit.

Not what wins applause—

but what builds meaning, connection and peace.

🧭 Why This Matters

Because when we lose sight of what we really desire,we chase everything else— And wonder why we still feel empty.

Desiderata isn’t a poem of ambition.

It’s a poem of alignment.

It doesn’t push you to chase what the world tells you to want.

It invites you to remember what your heart already knows.

You belong.

You matter.

You were meant to be here.

Not because of your performance or perfection.

But because of your existence.

Life can be hard.

Things do seem to fall apart now and then.

Not everything seems fair or clean or kind.

But even so… there is beauty.

In morning light.

In forgiveness.

In small acts of courage and grace.

And if you are willing to find it, everything serves, everything is a blessing.

👤 Who Was Max Ehrmann?

Behind the quiet strength of Desiderata was a man named Max Ehrmann—a thinker, writer, and spiritual seeker born in the American Midwest in 1872.

He wasn’t a celebrity.

He wasn’t famous in his lifetime.

He didn’t chase the spotlight.

But what he did chase was meaning.

🌾 A Life Rooted in Integrity

Ehrmann was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, to German immigrant parents.

He studied English and philosophy at DePauw University, and later attended Harvard for law and literature.

By all accounts, he was intelligent, thoughtful, curious.

But more than that—he was sincere.

He spent part of his life working in law and business,but in midlife, he chose to leave it behind.

He wanted to write—not to be popular, but to offer truth.He believed in crafting words that would serve the soul.

He wrote essays, poems, reflections—on ethics, spirit, and the human experience.Quietly. Steadily. With heart.

And for most of his life, few people noticed.

⏳ A Man Ahead of His Time

Max Ehrmann lived through the industrial revolution, two wars, the Great Depression, and the rise of modern capitalism and technology.

The world around him was growing louder, faster, and more fractured.

But his response wasn’t cynicism.

It was calm.

It was clarity.

It was Desiderata.

A poem that reminded people, even then:

“Be gentle with yourself.”

“Avoid loud and aggressive persons.”

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste.”

These were not clichés.

They were countercultural truths.

Especially in a time of violence, fear, and overwhelming change.

📜 The Legacy of Desiderata

Max Ehrmann died in 1945, before the poem’s rise to global acclaim.

It wasn’t until the 1960s and 70s—decades after his death—that Desiderata was discovered by a new generation.

It appeared in homes, churches, offices, dorm rooms, and meditation centers.It spoke to people longing for meaning in a world of noise.

Today, nearly a century after it was written, Desiderata still circulates.

Quietly.

Powerfully.

Persistently.

Because while the world has changed…our deeper needs haven’t.

We still crave peace.

We still long for truth.

We still need reminders of who we are—and who we can become.

Remember,

You have a right to be here.

You have a purpose for being here. 

You are loved.

You matter.

You are a child of The Universe.

Share the Gift

If this touched you, share this page with someone who could use the reminder. 

Forward it to a friend, or come back to it when you need a reminder of the truth:

You are a child of the universe.

You have a right to be here.