To Thine Own Self Be True

byAMelcher1

160 followers

3 years ago

And it Must Follow, as the night the day...

This is a famous quote from William Shakespeare from the play Hamlet.

As the quote proceeds, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

This has been a very challenging week for me. I am not looking for an excuse for non-productivity. That would be easy to do. Just do nothing! But, I would rather vent to the WA Community!

"To Thine Own Self Be True". These words have innumerable meanings. I want to share what they mean to me. Words become personal like clothing. You can put them on easier than you can take them off.

We can allow words to consume us, or allow words to become a guide to self-evaluation on how we measure ourselves in comparison to being measured by others, on what they may or may not be doing. If we continue in this frame of thought, we become lost, and lose the purpose of our on goal. The purpose of our goal is to be successful in whatever endeavor we have immersed ourselves. I have immersed my focus on my goal here at Wealthy Affiliate. I admit, I get side-tracked and angry, when I don't meet my own goals.

Comparison

Comparing ourselves to others is a distinct human characteristic. It happens when we don't think we are actually doing it. We as humans like to believe we are our own person. To Thine Own Self Be True. Is very personal, it means that I must stay grounded, and not get caught in the web of comparison. My greatest battle is with myself.

Comparison is necessary in guiding us toward a goal. It awards direction. Helps to identify what to do next, where to focus our energy, and learn from comparing ourselves to a higher standard. Often, that comparison is other people.

But, do not be "copy cats". We are not to mimic other people. If we find ourselves in a competition battle, It is then, when we use our competitors as mentors. Learn from them! After we learn, we should not take more than 25% of our time studying. We should implement the remainder percentage into immediate action. The immediate action, is where we can get hiccups. More often than not, we focus not on our primary goal, but on what others think about us. We lose belief in ourselves, we lose self-control, we lose focus. We start looking for an easy way out. "Easy Street"! I must say, I have not landed on that street, not even when playing the game Monopoly.

Control

Our inability to accept what we can't control can turn our days and nights, upside down.

We have to gather ourselves, gather our nerves, gain control, focus on "to now!" (new word) believe in ourselves and do what some people we compare ourselves to would not agree with. Society has made so many people believe that we do not belong to ourselves. We have been programmed to believe that our minds are not our own and we do not have the power of self-determination, self-will and self-control.

Reality is this: Bad week, bad days, hours, minutes and moments happen. We are always in a rush, thinking about what we should have done and in that process, we can get nothing done. Here is a short story, a distraction, an even an excuse for not be productive:

My best friend called me in the middle of me trying to "get something done". In despair - Her brother's car caught fire, her sister is sick, she doesn't have enough water...on, and on...

I have the patience, and self-control to say to her - STOP, take a deep breath! deal with the present, deal with the moment. Because, the moment is actually all that we have. Calmness and peace can be found no where else, except in "the moment". I am really good at helping others find themselves and gather control, trust the natural flow of life.

But, for myself - Not so much.

We have the Power

I am learning, during the turmoil, look realistically around. Fix, what I can, let the rest go. I am learning to have patience (not always), and faith in the direction I have chosen without guilt of not meeting my own preset terms and goals. I am learning how not to compare my success with the success or failure of others.

I can only be me.

I am learning, to take the advice I give. "Take a Breath"! If I learn to accept life as it comes, I will probably become more productive without the handicaps of trying to meet someone else standards or even my own.

We have the power to know our own mind, we have the power to believe in ourselves. To conquer competitive emotions we do not realize exist. Our mind is our own domain. We must be able to recognize our own value, and accept ourselves where we currently are. When we are able to recognize our failings and use them as a bridge to strength, then and only then are we able to be true to our own self. We learn to acknowledge our own skills or the lack of them. Truth is all we have.

To Thine Own Self Be True

When we remain focused, it soon becomes apparent that we all have much more than we actually realize. We have more skills, even if we think (or others think) we lack skills. We must train ourselves to accept who and where we are. If something is not working for us, it is okay, accept it, and move on to the next thing. If and when we fail, or make a crucial mistake, that is okay too. Accept it for what it is - a lesson, an experience, and go do it better the next time. As long as there is time, and we are still in it, there will be a "next time".

When we remain honest and true to ourselves, something real happens, we settle into self of who we are supposed to be. We appreciate where we are and the people we are surrounded by. We learn that we don't have to compare our success with someone else. We learn that it is because of someone else, that we are able to be successful!

Life is Good at WA, please accept my apology for rambling and venting. I am back track and my production schedule.