The Love at the End of the Rain
In a thousand lifetimes full of passion and pain,
There was a drowning man who never feared the rain,
In misty clouds of waking dreams he used to fly,
Until he finally reached the rainbow at the end of the sky.
It was so beautiful at first, the rainbow’s stunning colours slaked his thirst,
Yet its beauty was an illusion, that became his curse.
And the rainbow soon dispersed, inside a fractured universe,
And he could know what he could not see at first,
That all that glitters is not gold,
As he saw the colours of his life unfold,
And the youthful burning sunlight turned to cold.
For behind each dream, there is a hard reality,
That each man must learn to understand, before he can at last be free,
The empathy, humility and kindness we all want to receive,
Are something others in our lives cannot perceive,
For they are things a person rarely gives but in reply.
So he kept on travelling, journeying, flying by,
And his dream of love was buried deep among the sky,
But in his dream he could not act upon his wish, as he stood by.
Standing paralysed, he turned to stone, within his dream,
When after years he saw the truth behind the rainbow’s beam.
But hearts of stone will never break,
And one day he will finally awake,
His heart will once again be beating with new blood,
Like a freshly opened springtime flower-bud;
Let it be, the dream is dreamed - you cannot fly,
If you can understand to pass on the dream, the dream will never die,
Look beneath the surface, and give away your dream, then you will see,
That you too can once again be free.
(c) Sead Seferovic
For What It’s Worth
The longest journey begins with a single step. Beware the disease that disguises itself as a cure. Effectiveness begins with elimination. Choose your ignorances as carefully as your interests. Cleverness is not the same thing as wisdom. Watching people react to tragedy will illuminate the difference. Time takes vengeance on vanity. Maturity implies a preference for plain truths over gilded illusions. Befriend the truth and make it your ally in all things. Free people can speak freely. If you fear to speak, you are not free. Fear empty words more than silence. Rise to the level of your ideals, not the average of your environment. Overcome your inner fears.
Trust is built slowly. Trust is destroyed quickly. Trust can make complex things possible. The absence of trust can make simple things impossible. Trust is as precious as it is fragile.
Even worse than being talked about is not being talked about. Let people assume things about you they do not understand. If it is false, it has no weight. If it is true, it is good to know. Every person is made of contradictions. Strong vices often mask strong virtues. We are most easily deceived by that which we most desire. Do not deceive yourself. Not all that glitters is gold.
We shall meet greater and lesser persons along our road and we shall learn from all of them. We stand in our own way and complain that our path is obstructed. “Why did they insult me?” Bad question. “Why did I feel insulted?” Good question. A man who can find no fault with himself is not looking very closely. You cannot address your weaknesses if you won't admit you have any. The smart can learn quickly. The smart and wise can unlearn as quickly as they learn.
No learning without humility. No growth without pain. No reward without risk. No change without loss. Embrace. Endure. A drowning man does not fear the rain. Guilt has served its function when the lesson has been well and truly learned. Thank it for its service and let it go. Wishing you had spent your time differently only wastes more time.
Virtue cannot be bought, but it can be sold. Whatever the offer, it is too low. Those who seek applause for their goodness will certainly fail to be good, and probably fail to receive applause. Failure can teach endurance or timidity. Make it the former. Knowing the taste of failure and risking it anyway - that is courage.
Many great artists combine the skills of an adult with the wonder of a child. They help us rediscover what every parent has seen in the eyes of an infant. They show us a tree as if it were the first tree. They show us the world as we saw it when it was new.
If you read my book in full, even if you don’t understand, you will learn something. If you don’t read my book, think you are too busy, or don’t care, then no matter. Many give up books after one chapter. They assume they know what the next chapter will bring. They do not, and there is only one way to know. Keep reading. My book might not change the world. But it is my truth. And my truth as it could be. It was worth writing. And re-writing. It will be published later, when complete. I do not seek the official approval of others. I seek for my book to be read. And I seek not to be misunderstood.
I wish for empathy, humility and kindness. Other people around me do not understand. That includes myself. These are things no-one ever gives but in reply. And you will never tell me how you really feel. No matter. It is just a wish. Some wishes do come true.
The animal acts and does not reflect. The indecisive man reflects and does not act. The average man reflects after he acts. The wise man reflects before he acts. Outward action and inner calm.
A warrior must subdue himself before he can subdue his enemies. Clear eyes see accurately. The quiet mind thinks calmly. The steady hand strikes decisively. Mad passion flares brightly and quickly burns itself out. Stoke the steady flames of discipline, wisdom, and will.
Most of this comes not from me, but from the stoic emperor. Much of this I wrote myself. Yet deep down we are all the same, and made of nothing but energy. No-one ever creates something truly original. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.
Character is carved by the onslaught of adversity. Some reach the heights of power. Some live quiet lives of virtue and purpose. Some seek nothing but mischief. All find their way to the grave. Time will make ashes of us all. Do not squander this moment. It will not come again.
Desiderata
Sometimes it is important to remember who you are, and what you believe in.
Recently I reread the poem below and it resonated deeply.
“Go placidly amid the noise and the 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; 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... 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.”
“Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann © 1927
Images (c) Sead Seferovic