keeping calm and carrying on

Those of you who have been on Facebook for a while will remember a time when the meme, “Keep Calm and Carry On” or some variation thereof appeared with annoying regularity. It was supposedly originally a message to the British people from their government in the run-up to World War II.

I have never been big on sharing memes on Facebook, but recently one caught my attention in such a way that I had to share. It read:

The less you give a damn the happier you will be.

It seems to have struck a chord, as it received multiple likes. That is worth noting in that many of my Facebook posts receive no likes at all.

Interestingly, that same evening there was a quote from venerable Ram Dass on Instagram which said the same thing in a different way:

The resistance to the unpleasant situation is the root of suffering.

My cousin Keith posted a saying from the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius, who reigned from the years 161 to 180 in the Common Era. Despite its antiquity it struck me as being particularly appropriate for those of us who are nauseated by the words and actions of the current administration in Washington. It reads:

You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.

All different ways of saying the same thing. The final word goes to Dame Julian Of Norwich, who was born in 1342 and whom the Episcopal Church honors on May 8. A vision told her that whatever God does is done in love, and therefore:

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

In other words, keep calm and carry on.