The Power Of The Knowledge Of The Self

Many times in life, we find ourselves in situations where we can’t figure ourselves out. We don’t know why we act or think the way we do. And what we can do if we wanted to change ourselves.

As a typical INFP type personality (yes, I do think there’s some merit to this personality categorization. Don’t know about you, but it works for me at least), I definitely like introspecting and asking questions of myself, and, in the process, discovering more about myself. I may not always be right, but the desire to understand myself better is there.

Even though there are numerous self-help books and articles and talks and so-called “experts”, all telling us about ourselves (some sincerely and helpfully, some not), I think it’s rare to find opportunities to really know ourselves. And rarer still to find those opportunities at the “right” time. Because, to really make full use of any such chances, we need to be in the right frame of mind emotionally and spiritually, based on our experiences. I’ve had instances when the same things have made much more sense when I came across them after certain experiences, when I was in a certain place.

Life is a constant teacher, but one has to be ready to receive the lesson to really understand and remember it.

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But you might ask: “Why does it matter how well I know myself?” Well, to each, her own. Perhaps a person can only answer that question for oneself. Or, who knows, maybe it doesn’t even matter for everyone. There are some who even say that knowing oneself could be dangerous. But for me personally, it matters. It matters a lot.Read More »

Serenity, Courage, Wisdom

Now this is a kind of prayer I can get behind! I find this quote a good reminder that, sometimes, acceptance is the only way. There’s only so much time that our short existence on this planet allows us, and sometimes, it’s not worth fighting the things that we can not change – it’s simply better to devote that time to more fruitful and fulfilling activities – like writing, or reading my blog 😉

There’s not much that one can do about those indulging in office politics, neighbourhood gossip, social media trolling, etc. The more you engage with them, the more they spew their filth.

But that doesn’t mean that we give up on everything, entirely. The trick is to pick and choose our battles wisely. There’s so much to do in this world, so much that we can achieve. But that can happen only when we channel our time and efforts in the right direction.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

– Reinhold Niebuhr