Desiderata 

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 the 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,
whoever you conceive Him to be,
and wdon't likever 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. 


Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Diana Nyad: "Never, ever give up"

http://canadianimmigrant.ca/settling-in-canada/skills-for-success-always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life" rel="nofollow - Skills for Success: always look on the bright side of life

Nepalese climbers become 1st all-women team to scale highest mountains on all 7 continents

KATHMANDU, Nepal - A group of Nepalese returned home Friday after becoming the first all-women team to climb the highest mountains on all seven continents.

The team started their quest in 2008 by climbing Mount Everest and ended by scaling Mount Vinson in Antarctica on Dec. 23.

The women received a rowdy welcome at the airport, where team leader Shailee Basnet said they would continue to climb even after achieving their goal.

Only four of the seven team members were able to make their last journey to Antarctica because of lack of funding. They have been paying for the trips using personal savings, sponsors and fund raising events.

They have scaled Everest in Asia, Kosciuszko in Australia, Elbrus in Europe, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Aconcagua in South America, Denali or McKinley in North America and now Vinson in Antarctica.

Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association confirmed it was the first all women team to scale all the peaks.

Nepal has eight of the 14 highest mountains in the world, but few mountaineers from the Himalayan country are women. Of the more than 4,000 climbers who have scaled Mount Everest, more than half are Nepalese but only two dozen of those are women.

The team aimed to change the all-male image of mountaineering in their country. Nepalese women rarely got the chance to climb because they were confined to their homes while their husbands led expeditions or carried equipment for Western climbers.

It was only in 1993 that a Nepalese woman — Pasang Lhamu — first reached the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit of Everest. She died on the descent.

While they travelled for their climbs, the women on the team have been talking to schoolchildren and encouraging other women to follow suit.

Taken from:  http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nepalese-climbers-become-1st-women-team-scale-highest-105556693--nba.html" rel="nofollow - https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nepalese-climbers-become-1st-women-team-scale-highest-105556693--nba.html

The research has made this clear: Vulnerability is at the heart of the feedback process. This is true whether we give, receive, or solicit feedback. And vulnerability doesn’t go away even if we’re trained and experienced in offering and getting feedback. Experience does, however, give us the advantage of knowing that we can survive the exposure and uncertainty, and that it’s worth the risk.

[…]
Again, there’s no question that feedback may be one of the most difficult arenas to negotiate in our lives. We should remember, though, that victory is not getting good feedback, avoiding giving difficult feedback, or avoiding the need of feedback. Instead, it’s taking off the armor, showing up, and engaging.

http://lifehacker.com/the-art-of-feedback-striking-a-balance-between-guidanc-1703905740" rel="nofollow - http://lifehacker.com/the-art-of-feedback-striking-a-balance-between-guidanc-1703905740

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” -Epictetus, Discourses, Book II, ch. 17

Another translation:

“What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows.” -Epictetus, Discourses, Book II, ch. 17

What It Means

Be it a skill, craft, or just general knowledge, to improve yourself is to learn. But you cannot learn if you believe there is nothing left for you to learn. What if what you know is only one of many possibilities, and some are better than others? What if what you know could be further enhanced by what others know? What if what you know is actually wrong?

If you do not show humility and approach all things as an empty, willing vessel, you will not grow. Never assume that your mind is full, or that what you know overpowers what others know. After all, how could progress be made in any field if everyone assumed they knew everything as soon as they learned something? It’s arrogant and foolish, even for those who are at the top of their field.

What to Take From It

No matter what you pursue in life, keep yourself hungry to learn. Choose to always have a beginner’s mind, constantly looking for another angle. Get comfortable with being wrong, and relish it when it happens. It’s okay to be wrong as long as you make it a lesson. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seem like an amateur. An open mind can be your greatest asset if you let it.

We are stubborn creatures who would like to assume we’re smarter or more capable than others, but hoping you’re superior makes you inferior. Ditch the ego and accept your place as an eternal student. Besides, http://lifehacker.com/dont-be-a-know-it-all-be-a-learn-it-all-1794974291#_ga=2.95879967.24664540.1497201492-27973805.1434581949" rel="nofollow - nobody likes a know-it-all , and true “experts” are the ones who will admit when they don’t know something. Why? Because they’d like to learn it.

"MYTORONTO photo contest participants were all once homeless"

The secret to happiness? Ask this Yale professor (The Current with Anna Maria Temonti)

Sting, Shaggy - Morning Is Coming

Caring for Tor | An intimate look at the life of a young caregiver: The National May 7, 2018

"Four years in a Chinese labour camp. Sketching gave him hope"