Wisdom
The ability to use your knowledge and experience to make good decisions and judgments:
I certainly hope to gain a little wisdom as I grow older.
He hosts a weekly radio show in which he dispenses wisdom (= gives his opinions) on a variety of subjects.
Cambridge Dictionary
16 apr. 2020
Desiderata (Latijn voor “verlangde zaken”) is een gedicht in proza uit 1927 van de Amerikaanse schrijver Max Ehrmann (1872–1945). Het gedicht werd bij het grote publiek bekend nadat het in 1965 op het doodsbed van de politicus Adlai Stevenson werd gevonden.
[1] Vanuit de Old St. Paul’s Cathedral in Baltimore, Maryland, begon de tekst van Desiderata van de Duits-Amerikaanse dichter Max Ehrmann haar zegetocht over de hele wereld.
Het gedicht werd geschreven in 1927, maar pas in de vijftiger jaren ontdekt voor de rector van de kerk. Wat maakt deze tekst zo bijzonder?
Haarscherp en in heldere bewoordingen bevat deze tekst een haast betoverende levenswijsheid.
Iedereen voelt zich onmiddellijk aangesproken door de levenservaring en mensenliefde die uit deze hartverwarmende tekst spreekt.
Zij nodigt uit tot een moment van bezinning en verstilling in de luidruchtige gejaagdheid en verwarring van onze tijd.
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.
A true friend sees the first tear.
Catches the second
and stops the third
Give the ones you love
Wings to fly
Roots to come back
and Reasons to stay
Donovan Livingston delivers his awe-inspiring poem Lift up
3 Vocabulary biar updateLEARN ENGLISH | Donovan Livingston – Racial Inequalities In The Education System
4 Education Matters Ep 10 Donovan Livingston
Gepubliceerd op 10 dec. 2016
June 1, 1999
Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who’d rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there’s no reason we can’t entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.
I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’99:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
8 jul. 2010
Axel Metayer
Lyrics from the song:
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either — your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
Most of the video was filmed in 2008, and yeah, it’s all Ki’une from http://www.pickupdance.com , http://www.risingbean.com.
He made this video compiled from clips of his adventures and activities over the past while. It’s been 10 years since this song was released, and he never really got sick of it, and wanted to share how he lived it out. I’m not trying to tell everyone to do everything possible, but rather inspire people to live more freely – and that you can start today by doing something simple, such as dancing in your living room!
Song The Sunscreen Song is written (lyrics) by Mary Schmich and voiced by Baz Luhrmann. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wear_Sun…
Dalai Lama
“Geluk is niet iets kant-en-klaar. Het komt door je eigen acties.”
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 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.
6 World Forum for Democracy 2016 DONOVAN LIVINGSTON – Talk Summary
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Gepubliceerd op 9 nov. 2016
7 Donovan Livingston’s “Jus Like Yo Momma” | UNCG Liberal Arts Advantage, 2017
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Gepubliceerd op 13 mrt. 2017
Donovan Livingston delivers an extraordinary spoken word piece
to a crowd of liberal arts students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
“We share the same face,
Her and I – she was 9 and I was the twinkle in her iris.
Her eyes had seen much suffering –
Unexplained injustices all the days of her young life,
When she decided enough was enough.
We share the same skin,
The mahogany hue melanin
That wouldn’t let her in – the “we don’t serve your kind” skin,
The brown “you gonna have to go ‘round through the back” skin,
Back when a “hole in the wall” eatery would literally be way we received our food.
That little girl couldn’t stomach the incivility.
I know, because I was there –
The butterfly in her belly – the swelling
When swallowing her pride became too hard to digest,
The scars in her tummy told a story.
On that humid Carolina afternoon
She moved to the beat of her own drum
The sun, beaming brightly atop her brow, two pony tails, and bangs
Waving picket signs, demanding her spot at a lunch counter –
Her seat at the table when company comes –
The sun was unforgiving that day.
She taught me, nowadays
racism and humidity are one in the same –
Invisible to the naked eye,
but you feel it you when you walk outside.
So don’t tell us, be cool – don’t sweat it
Like it isn’t summer somewhere every day of year.
Racism, like the sun doesn’t go away
By simply averting your eyes.
We share the same ears;
Clogged prisons, overcrowded
with the names of victims –
Terence Crutcher, Philando, and Freddie Gray
Sandra Bland, the Charleston 9, and Keith Scott.
Their names drop like bodies, on my ear drums
Strumming the rhythms, we march to –
Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley
Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins.
How do their names sound after all this time?
Because you were their age too –
And you saw to it, their memory boomed
Like Sunday School at 16th Street Baptist in Birmingham
I hear you, momma!
You’re the ringing in my ears
Reminding me why my words matter
Like Black Lives.
I swear our movements were twin babies
Nursed by America’s bosom
We share the same lips,
Blowing a kiss of death to Jim Crow and police brutality,
Singing freedom songs while doing so.
From “We Shall Overcome” to we gon’ be “Alright”,
Screaming “Alls my life I has to fight!”
But fighting back is what we do.
Anti-oppression is our DNA.
These double helix strands stand on a twisted view justice,
Double-dutching a status quo, hoping you’ll jump in –
But we won’t – we won’t
We are programmed to revolt.
Oh, yea. We share the same smile, too.
This gap-toothed grin is a reminder
That now is the space between History and Future
Now is the only space we will ever occupy in this universe
And now is the only truth you’ll ever see
So tell it – unapologetically
Because History is genetic
And every day He look me in face and say,
“Boy, you look jus’ like yo momma”
Gepubliceerd op 13 mrt. 2017
Donovan Livingston delivers an extraordinary spoken word piece
to a crowd of liberal arts students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
“We share the same face,
Her and I – she was 9 and I was the twinkle in her iris.
Her eyes had seen much suffering –
Unexplained injustices all the days of her young life,
When she decided enough was enough.
We share the same skin,
The mahogany hue melanin
That wouldn’t let her in – the “we don’t serve your kind” skin,
The brown “you gonna have to go ‘round through the back” skin,
Back when a “hole in the wall” eatery would literally be way we received our food.
That little girl couldn’t stomach the incivility.
I know, because I was there –
The butterfly in her belly – the swelling
When swallowing her pride became too hard to digest,
The scars in her tummy told a story.
On that humid Carolina afternoon
She moved to the beat of her own drum
The sun, beaming brightly atop her brow, two pony tails, and bangs
Waving picket signs, demanding her spot at a lunch counter –
Her seat at the table when company comes –
The sun was unforgiving that day.
She taught me, nowadays
racism and humidity are one in the same –
Invisible to the naked eye,
but you feel it you when you walk outside.
So don’t tell us, be cool – don’t sweat it
Like it isn’t summer somewhere every day of year.
Racism, like the sun doesn’t go away
By simply averting your eyes.
We share the same ears;
Clogged prisons, overcrowded
with the names of victims –
Terence Crutcher, Philando, and Freddie Gray
Sandra Bland, the Charleston 9, and Keith Scott.
Their names drop like bodies, on my ear drums
Strumming the rhythms, we march to –
Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley
Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins.
How do their names sound after all this time?
Because you were their age too –
And you saw to it, their memory boomed
Like Sunday School at 16th Street Baptist in Birmingham
I hear you, momma!
You’re the ringing in my ears
Reminding me why my words matter
Like Black Lives.
I swear our movements were twin babies
Nursed by America’s bosom
We share the same lips,
Blowing a kiss of death to Jim Crow and police brutality,
Singing freedom songs while doing so.
From “We Shall Overcome” to we gon’ be “Alright”,
Screaming “Alls my life I has to fight!”
But fighting back is what we do.
Anti-oppression is our DNA.
These double helix strands stand on a twisted view justice,
Double-dutching a status quo, hoping you’ll jump in –
But we won’t – we won’t
We are programmed to revolt.
Oh, yea. We share the same smile, too.
This gap-toothed grin is a reminder
That now is the space between History and Future
Now is the only space we will ever occupy in this universe
And now is the only truth you’ll ever see
So tell it – unapologetically
Because History is genetic
And every day He look me in face and say,
“Boy, you look jus’ like yo momma”
Gepubliceerd op 13 jul. 2016
Live gestreamd op 24 apr. 2017
13 A Quick Conversation with Donovan Livingston ’09
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14 The story behind Harvard student’s amazing speech
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Gepubliceerd op 30 nov. 2017
Your conscience is your moral compass. Take care of it. Use it. Trust it.
18 apr. 2011
