Art is meant to inspire us, to move us - to change us. There's always lines or words that stick with us after we read something - and sometimes, they can mold our lives. Here are a few quotes from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" to live by.
1. "I will accept nothing which all cannot have their counterpart of on the same terms." - We live in a dog-eat-dog world where we are constantly hounded by materialism and individualism. Once in a while, take a minute to see if the life you are building is also helping build others up. Stand for justice and equality every step of the way.
2. "The pleasures of heaven are with me, and the pains of hell are with me. The first I graft and increase upon myself...the latter I translate into a new tounge." - When we are blessed, let us only multiply those blessings, let them extend from us unto the world. When we suffer, let us find a way to "translate" that suffering into something beautiful.
3. "Encompass worlds but never try to encompass me" - Stand before the world as your true self, all facets good and bad. Let the world see you for who you truly are and never allow anyone or anything try to make you fit into a box when you are multifaceted.
4. "I merely stir, press, feel with my fingers, and am happy; to touch my person to someone else's is about as much as I can stand" - Let us learn how to really feel, to appreciate the small things and learn the world anew through our touch, not only physical but emotional.
5. "All truths wait in all things. They neither hasten their own delivery nor resist it." - At the end of the day, the truth will always come forth - rest in the knowledge of that. Do not shield yourself from reality nor degrade yourself as a means to reveal the truth - it'll all come in time.
6. "The insignificant is as much to me as any" - Make a big deal out of small things. Comfort someone who is hurting, have friends over for a meal, celebrate your minor stepping stones, appreciate every breath because life is the occasion you should always be celebrating.
7. "Only what nobody denies is so" - do not be afraid to speak your mind because you are in the minority. If something makes you uncomfortable, say so. Your silence will only condemn you to unhappiness.
8. "Not one [animal] is dissatisfied...not one is demented with the mania of owning things." - Let us be connected with nature, immitate its harmony and learn to find the true value of things. Let us find riches not in material possessions but in family, and friendship, travel and adventure - in simply existing in the same world as so many wonderful people.
9. "Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes." - There are infinate choices, situations and people we will encounter - each different from the other. In every situation, we must remember to breath and keep our inner peace in the face of adversity and challenges.
10. "I celebrate myself" - Remember that every little piece of you - past, present, and future, make you who you are. You yourself are an infinate universe that you must discover and love and celebrate everyday. With so much negativity and pressure in the world - make sure to take a moment to see how wonderful you are and celebrate every bit that makes you, you.
