The following was written by the brilliant Elbert Hubbard in 1906. He is most famous for the essay entitled "A Message to Garcia." If you have a chance, I highly recommend reading this piece as well. It is available online at the Roycrofter Site - A Message to Garcia.

 

~ A Radiant Life ~

The supreme prayer of my heart is not to be learned, rich, famous, powerful, or "good", but simply to be radiant. I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage, and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected - as ready to say "I do not know", if it be so, and to meet all men on an absolute equality - to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid.

I wish others to live their lives, too - up to their highest, fullest, and best. To that end I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I'll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant - to radiate life.

 


Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)
Love, Life & Work
Roycroft Press, 1906


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