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 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 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 critical 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 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 careful.
Strive to be happy.
© Max Ehrmann 1927
Do you remember sitting in a chatroom, watching people chat, or even chatting yourself? Do you remember recieving so many forwards that your mailbox was ready to explode? How about recieving an email from someone just searching for a friend. Did you wonder who these people might be that are behind the keyboard?
Online we meet new people from all around the world. Some we chat with just once and then we go on. Others we chat with time and time again, and a friendship is made. Others become our email buddies, and we look so forward to their emails each day, but have you ever really wonder who was really behind the keyboard?
So often we meet a friend in chat we stay up all night chatting, sometimes we laugh so hard we can not type, other times we cry and our keyboards are stained from tears. We chat about our lives and help solve each others problems, we lend a shoulder if we can. Did you ever think to yourself, who is really behind that keyboard?
Did you ever chat with someone that promised you the world and that your friendship we be forever, and then they are gone? Do you forget about them and move on, or do you wonder "who was person really, that was behind the keyboard?
Have you ever hid behind your keyboard, pretending to be something you are not, just to boost your ego? As you sat there and typed have you ever lied, thinking "who care's, the person behind the keyboard it is only a fake person?" Did you ever hurt someone thinking "it's only a game"?
Well, behind each and every keyboard are very real people, some might be heartless cold people, not caring who they hurt, but then there are people that are caring, loyal, honest and all kinds of people hoping for some companionship online.
Behind the keyboard can be someone that is seriously depressed and their only hope is to make a friend, maybe an aging person who once had a family, but now they live to far apart to see one another, perhaps there is someone that can not walk anymore or a person so ill they are in the house forever.
As we enter the world of the internet we should remember, it is a very real world and behind each and every keyboard is a person that has a heart. No one has a life that is pain free, so as we go online whether in chat or just emaling we must remember to treat each person the way the we want to be treated, to respect each others feelings, and to offer friendship, because the truth is we really do not know who is behind the keyboard or what kind of hurt someone may be feeling. To be the best to others that you can be should be the "key" to a good, honest life.