eDition

Rumi « You know the value of every article of merchandise, but if you don't know the value of your own soul, it's all foolishness. » All the treasures of the world gold, fame, praise are empty if we do not know the value of our own soul. True well-being, as modern wisdom confirms, does not come from what we hold in our hands or the recognition we receive from others. It comes from a conscious turning inward, from meeting ourselves with honesty, and from understanding the desires, fears, and longings that dwell in our depths. The soul, Rumi reminds us, is the hidden treasure within. When we place more value on the world outside than on the light within, we wander in illusion, chasing shadows. This is an invitation: turn your attention inward, recognize your own worth, and let it shine independent of applause, reward, or judgment. In the realm of personal growth, this awareness becomes guidance. Respect yourself. Listen to the quiet stirrings of your heart. Nurture integrity, cr...

  «Desiderata» By Max Ehrmann Go placidly  amid the noise and the 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 to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or 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 ari...

«Love’s Philosophy» By PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY The fountains mingle with the river    And the rivers with the ocean, The winds of heaven mix for ever    With a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single;    All things by a law divine In one spirit meet and mingle.    Why not I with thine?— See the mountains kiss high heaven    And the waves clasp one another; No sister-flower would be forgiven    If it disdained its brother; And the sunlight clasps the earth    And the moonbeams kiss the sea: What is all this sweet work worth    If thou kiss not me? Painting by Fabian Perez https://fabianperez.com Illustration by Laurent Guidali https://www.laurentguidali.com Work by eDition Etoile https://www.editionetoile.com  

  «Invictus» By William Ernest Henley Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate : I am the captain of my soul. Painting by Fabian Perez https://fabianperez.com Illustration by Laurent Guidali https://www.laurentguidali.com Work by eDition Etoile https://www.editionetoile.com

«Sonnet» By Félix Arvers My soul has its secret, my life has its mystery, A love eternal, born in a single instant. The pain is without hope, and so I had to hide it, And she who caused it never knew a thing. Alas! I shall have passed by her unnoticed, Always at her side, and yet forever alone. And I shall have lived out my time on this earth, Daring to ask for nothing, and receiving nothing. For her, though God has made her gentle and kind, She walks her path, distracted, unaware Of this murmur of love rising behind her steps. To stern duty, devoutly faithful, She will say, reading these verses filled with her presence: "Who is this woman?" and she will not understand. . 🇫🇷 ORIGINAL FRENCH Mon âme a son secret, ma vie a son mystère, Un amour éternel en un moment conçu : Le mal est sans espoir, aussi j’ai dû le taire, Et celle qui l’a fait n’en a jamais rien su. Hélas ! j’aurai passé près d’elle inaperçu, Toujours à ses côtés, et pourtant solitaire. Et j’aurai jusqu’au bou...

« The road not taken final » By Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Painting by Fabian Perez https://fabianperez.com Illustration by Laurent Guidali https://www.laurentguidali.com Work by eDition Etoile https://www.editionetoile.com