MONDAY MUSINGS: TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE!

Last Thursday, at my friend Joan’s 80th birthday party, I asked her if she had any words of wisdom to share with the group. She thought about it for a second, and then with great panache began reciting Shakespeare:

“This above all – to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as night follows day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”                                                                

The above quote was also a favourite of my grandmother’s. Hearing it again made me think about my own life, and the importance of being true to oneself. Leafing through a magazine today as I sat sweating it out in an infrared sauna, the same idea popped forth from a page. The author this time was Martha Beck who posed the question ‘Do you ever feel like your life is living you?’  giving the reader an honest-to-goodness way to rediscover true joy. That piqued my interest, so I continued to read. The bottom line as far as Ms. Beck is concerned is honesty with self, and with others. She said humans lie better than any other creatures on earth and we pay a huge price for that! (“Of course I don’t mind” “Oh, I’m fine” “Sure, I’d love to”).

She suggests a mental cleanse; one day of total inner honesty. The path to integrity turns inward before it leads outward. Get a pen, a timer, some paper and get writing! Allow yourself 30 minutes. The big question to ask yourself is ‘Am I living my deepest truth now’. You may feel a twitch of nerves or a wisp of sadness. Truth is like a wild animal. If it has been attacked or suppressed, it may take some time to show itself! ‘

The older I get, the more vital I find it is to be honest with self. Time is running out. I no longer want to waste it with people I have nothing in common with, who don’t share my values, or accept me for who I am. This is something I have struggled with for many years. My passion for Astrology has raised some eyebrows I might add! The joy and support I get from my Faith is something which has isolated me further from people who don’t understand. But Hey! I am what I am! Don’t question my beliefs, accept me for who I am, be open-minded, non-judgemental, kind, humorous, good fun, and Yes, I will be happy to have a coffee with you some day. Otherwise, MYOB! After years of doing what Ms. Beck suggests, I have finally reached the Promised Land. And the view up here I might add, is glorious and free!

The reward for all this self-honesty is you’ll find yourself doing what you love, with people you love, in places you love. So, without further ado – Go Be Your Authentic Self! To Thine Own Self Be True. Only YOU know what that means.

Hugs Galore,
Patricia xxx