Steady my harried pace

Posted on by Live & Learn

slow-me-down

Wilferd Arlan Peterson (1900–95) was born in Whitehall, Michigan and lived most of his life in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was an American author who wrote for This Week magazine (a national Sunday supplement in newspapers distributed to 13,000,000 readers). For twenty-five years, he wrote a monthly column for Science of Mind magazine. He published nine books starting in 1949 with The Art of Getting Along: Inspiration for Triumphant Daily Living.” Peterson was regarded as “one of the best loved American writers of the 20th century, renowned for his inspirational wisdom and aphoristic wit” by the Independent Publishers Group. His influences include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Abraham Lincoln, among many others. His contemporaries include Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carnegie, and current writers and philosophers such as Jack Canfield and Brian Tracy have referred to Peterson’s works. He was married to Ruth Irene Rector Peterson (1921-79). He credits his wife Ruth as being the inspiration for his work (saying that while he “wrote about the art of living, she lived it”), and they collaborated often on producing these inspirational books. (Source: Wiki)

Source: Thank you Perpetua at The Seeker

43 thoughts on “Steady my harried pace”

  3. We can’t seem to learn from our past – and can you imagine how much happier we would be if we could just be able to remember to let go..

    1. Yes, I caught that too…

      “The point is that all this is about perspective. Seen in one way, everything offers pleasure. Seen in another, just sorrow and misery…Do you think I was ashamed of anything at all? I was tolerant of everything. I couldn’t damn well lose… It was all about perspective. Nothing in your world has changed or become an urgent problem except for the way you saw it.

      ~ Karl Ove Knausgaard (My Struggle: Book 2: A Man In Love. P482)

      1. He makes it sound so easy. Tolerant of everything is so hard for me, especially when it’s related to pig-headed politicians who don’t listen to the electorate and just steam ahead oblivious of what they’re doing to the environment, or how they’re impacting upon the quality of people’s lives.

        It is so good to concentrate on the flowers and birds and butterflies, if they’re still there to concentrate upon.

  5. There is so much to love in this piece. His verbiage is so evocative–“break the tension of my nerves with the soothing music of the sighing streams.” I *immediately* heard a burbling stream in my head and said a little subconscious “ahhhh.” Wonderful share for a Sunday morning, pal! 🙂

  7. I read that earlier on Perpetua’s blog and then, reading it again this morning…had the same feeling in my heart of love and peace. I should post it somewhere in this house as a reminder to be a centered being on this earth…of looking each day for what is most important in life. Thanks David for giving me the opportunity to read this once more.

  11. I love this! I’m stunned that Peterson was from Whitehall Michigan and I’ve never heard of him. Whitehall is very near my hometown. I think I found a new writing hero. Thank you David.

      1. I grew up an hour north of Lansing in a small town called Alma. I went to Michigan State University. I’ve lived all over the midwest since then and one brief stint in Houston. I have some family in the U.P., Dafter, Michigan. Cool connection.:)

  17. My boss gave us t-shirts she made that say “Festina Lente,” or hasten slowly. It’s our motto for the coming fiscal year at the Abbey where I work. Although it’s a bit of an oxymoron, it makes me smile and try to remember exactly those lovely things in your prayer.

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