KNOW THYSELF AND TO THY OWN SELF BE TRUE

Do you know yourself? Most people don't until they reach a certain age. That's when life gets really interesting with the opening up of new opportunities, leading to fulfilment as a member of humanity. 

 

In his book "In Search of Your True Self", Walter Staples wrote that: "Our primary purpose in life is to discover who we really are, our True Self. We achieve this by making meaningful CONTRIBUTIONS, using all of our natural talents and abilities. It is to GIVE of ourselves. The skill that allows this to happen is mastery of ourselves -- how we think and how we behave, which leads to mastery of life."

 

Remember ye not the following proverbs:

 

"Better is a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." -- Proverbs 16:32

 

" A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great." -- Proverbs 18:16

 

Further, Walter Staples drew up these statements (read through once, reflect and read again):

IT  MATTERS  ONLY  WHO  WE  THINK  WE  ARE !

1.    We think we know who we are.

2.    We always act out who we think we are.

3.    We are NOT who we think we are.

4.    We will never know who we really are.

                BUT

5.    We can change who we think we are, and in the process, WE CHANGE WHO WE ARE !

 

We will in all probability not know ourselves fully (see quadrant 4.) as illustrated by the Johari Window (named after the first names of its developer, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham):

But the important point is that we can change who we are depending on how we see ourselves; positive/negative or half-full/ half-empty.

 

And, we can change as we grasp and apply the key findings by Walter Staples to modify our thinking:

1. Life is a series of thoughts.

2. We become what we think about.

3. We can choose what we think about.

 

This concurs with what Richard Bach (author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, amongst other titles) has to say: "The only difference, the very only difference, between those who are free and the others, is that those who are free have begun to understand what they really are and have begun to practice it."

 

Need guidance on what to think about (and do)? Listen to what  St. Paul of Tarsus has said by the inspiration of God in his letter to the Philippians in Chapter 4 verses 8 and 9: " Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

 

All said, we owe it to ourselves to know who we think we are. Then, we are clear about the things or people that matter to us and we can be true to ourselves without having to deal with the conflict of compromise or contrary viewpoint. Life becomes that much lighter and we can walk with a bounce on our feet with or without Hush Puppies. So, the next time someone asks: 'Who do you think you are?' in the right context, don't take offence cos' it's actually a rather profound question; confounding, of course, to the uninitiated.

What we care about gets done. And, our service will be great (not just 'good') because we know who we think we are; we know what we are living for. As Leo Rosten said, "I cannot believe that the purpose of life is merely to be happy. I think that the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honourable, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have it made some difference that you lived at all."

Or, as Les Brown puts it," I don't believe that man was born to work for a living; I believe he was born to make what he lives for his work." Know thyself and to thy own self be true.

Note: All Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version

*** THE END***