Move through the noise and chaos of life with calm, and remember that silence holds a peace all its own. As much as you can, without losing yourself, stay on good terms with the people around you. Say what is true for you, say it quietly and with clarity, and genuinely listen to others — even those who seem dull or ignorant. They have a story too.
Step back from people who are loud and aggressive; they drain the spirit. Comparing yourself to others is a trap — go down that road and you’ll find either arrogance or bitterness waiting for you, because there will always be someone doing better or worse than you. Take pride in what you’ve built and in what you’re still reaching for.
Care about your work, whatever it is and however small it may seem. In a world that keeps shifting, it belongs to you. Be careful in how you navigate life — there is plenty of trickery out there — but don’t let that make you blind to the good. Plenty of people are genuinely striving to do right, and quiet acts of courage are happening everywhere, all the time.
Be Who you are
Be who you are. Don’t perform warmth you don’t feel. And don’t write off love either — cynicism about it is easy, but love keeps coming back, stubborn and green, no matter how dry things get.
Listen to what age and experience are telling you. Let go of the things that belong to younger years, and do it with grace. Build the kind of inner strength that holds when life suddenly goes sideways. But don’t torture yourself with imagined disasters. Most fear grows out of tiredness and loneliness. Treat yourself with some gentleness — you deserve at least that much.
You belong here. No less than the trees, no less than the stars — you are part of this universe and you have every right to exist in it. And even when it doesn’t feel like it, things are most likely unfolding the way they’re meant to.
So make your peace with whatever you understand God or the universe to be. Amid all the noise, the striving, and the confusion of being alive — keep peace with your own soul.
This world is full of pretence, tedium, and heartbreak. It is also still a beautiful world.
Try to be happy.
