You Own Your Self

Be proud to be yourself, quirks and all. Peter and I had a minister

in New York City who told his parishioners to love and accept
themselves, warts and all. We are unique in every definition of the
word.
There is just no one like us in the world; there never has been and
there
never will be. Even though many of our cells are renewed regularly in
our
bodies, we have our own DNA, our own identity, which remains the
same
throughout the course of our lifetime. Our essence remains constant
no
matter what environment we’re in. What are some of your
idiosyncrasies?
How would you describe your one-of-a-kind characteristics? Perhaps
you
are loving, generous, thoughtful, kind, and compassionate. What is
your
most fundamental self? What are some of the small epiphanies you’ve
experienced that have given you greater clarity and made you think,
“Ah,
this is me. This is who I am. This what I choose to do and how I choose
to live my life”?
You never fi nd yourself by wandering from place to place, person to
person, activity to activity. You discover your true identity by what you
think and what you do. Are you living the life you believe is the best
one
according to your essence? Are you true to your core values and
beliefs,
satisfying your deepest desires and wishes?
When we are true to our self, we shine most brilliantly. This is the self

we should nurture, support, and encourage. Our body is the wrapping

on
the gift of who we are. Our environment, our looks, our possessions,
are
all mere trappings. You have to be you—in your skin, in your house,
and
in your activities.
The process of growing into ourselves is often painful because it
requires a great deal of self-reflection and acceptance of who we really
are. What can we change to improve our self? What do we have to do
to
become fully responsible for our lives? We have to figure it out. What
“it”
is, is the vital question many people never dare to face. I’ve never
known
a human being who has everything perfectly figured out, but
passionately
pursuing this goal yields tremendous satisfaction. Our primary task in
life
is to find inner peace, to be content, to become happier, more loving.
Plato
said it well: “The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
No one can find our self for us, nor can we find self for someone else.
Accept that you are not anyone else’s savior. You can’t expect
someone
to shape up, to become enlightened. Each of us must relax into
selfknowledge
that is the first step toward self-improvement.
Read the last words of saints, sages, and gurus; read the literature of
geniuses. Be true to your self, and as Aristotle urged us, “Trust
thyself”
and a burden will be lifted from our souls. We form and reform our self.
The work of self-ownership can be challenging. I know how
complicated
life becomes; how intertwined one choice is with another. But always
remember, you own your self; I own myself. This self is all we can
control;
it is who we are and who we are becoming. We make wise choices not
only not to sell our souls, but to live joyfully and abundantly.
Take ownership of you. Let the world know who you are and what
you believe in. How you define your good life, your contributions to
others, is deeply personal, individual and sacred.
Consider your invisible possessions. This is your true wealth. We earn
these virtues through our own hard labor. By adopting them, we
achieve
the good life. The ancient philosophers defined virtue as moral
excellence.
Some invisible possessions may be:
- Character
- Honesty
- Sympathy
- Compassion
- Thoughtfulness
- Sensitivity
- Gratitude
- Appreciation
- Empathy
- Generosity
- Kindness
- Wisdom
- Cheerfulness
- Love
- Care
- Courtesy
- Open-mindedness
- Integrity
- Sincerity
- Humility
- Optimism
Be a student of the virtues. Seek opportunities to express them in
daily
life. There is so much in us that we alone must draw out. Figure it out
and
be true to who you are. Your finest blessing is to own your self.