To Thine Own Self Be True

Good Heavens! Now I’m quoting Shakespeare. But this line has been rattling around in my head for at least a week, and it’s time to heed my muse and explore this deep thought.

My experience with Shakespeare is limited to performing in “Kiss Me Kate” in high school. This play is a modern take on “The Taming of the Shrew”. Though none of this has any bearing on today’s post, I thought you might like to know that I am not well versed in the Bard’s long-winded speeches.

However, from Polonius to his son Laertes (Hamlet Act 1 Scene 3)

    “This above all: to thine own self be true,

    And it must follow, as the night the day,

    Thou canst be false to any man.”

So, what does this mean to us? We are faced with myriad choices every day. We have a favorite quote for our teenagers, “Life is full of choices.” But surely, it applies to every day of our adult lives, too.

To be true to oneself, one must first search deeply within to know what we need. Perhaps that’s why it’s taken me a week to work through my thoughts on this verse. How often do I listen to my head and not my heart? Too often, I'm sure.

And how often do I choose not to listen at all, and go with my own free will?

That’s usually what gets me in trouble - with myself. My heart is the best guide for what is right for my life, and my brain guides me in making the right choices. 

But trusting my gut in situations where intuition is necessary serves me well. For the last couple of years, I have been focusing on listening to that small voice that guides me in my daily life.

It all began when the hammock broke.

One fall day, I lay swaying to and fro in my rope hammock, watching the tree branches sway above me. For some reason the back of my head was uncomfortable, and I kept hearing this thought that I should get a pillow.

I ignored my intuition, knowing soon I would go in the house to check on the cake that was baking in the oven for my son’s birthday. But the thought kept nagging me, “Get a pillow”.

Interestingly, my husband came out to where I was swinging and said, "Don't you want a pillow?" I said no, I'd get one in a minute. He turned to go back into the house, and no sooner did he leave then SNAP! The rope holding the head of hammock broke, and I crashed to the ground, landing mostly on the back of my head. (See where a pillow would have been helpful?)

Now this may seem like coincidence, but to me it was a wake-up call. Luckily, I was not badly hurt. But something deep inside of me awoke to the realization that I had not been living through listening to my inner voice. Since then, I have relied more on my intuitive thoughts to guide me in everyday decisions. Truthfully, this process has served me well.

I think this is the basis of being true to one’s self. In order to provide what we need through honoring our inner selves, we need to regularly check in with our gut feeling and listen to our inner voice to make sure we are staying on track.

Photo Courtesy Best Light Photography

We are challenged every day by receiving so much stimuli. We need to take time to be still, and focus on our intuition within. Quiet the mind, and let your higher self speak.

We may think our brains are the most highly advanced organs in our body, but our spirit inside, our intuition and our gut feeling are there to help protect us from danger. Learn to trust your inner guidance. 

By doing so, you will find that you are following the path that honors your integrity “To thine own self be true.” Live your life by being true to yourself, and you will find a pathway to knowing inner peace.

 

A New Way of Thinking

Does the New Year greet you with trepidation or elation? Are you happily making out new to-do lists and setting goals?

I have not made any resolutions. “I resolve to….” Is such a power struggle, deep within my psyche. I’m done with the disappointment of not living up to my own expectations.

So I’ve decided to work from the inside out, and design my year from a spiritual perspective. I have this feeling that if I align my inner self with God and His purpose for me, then everything else will fall into place.

Sound too simple? Ah, yes, but it is the simplicity that makes it work! I am empowered by forces that are much more powerful than my own free will. You know how it feels when everything just falls into place, when you are purposefully following the path that was meant for you? It’s effortless, right? And we wonder, how can this be so easy?

Well, that’s how I feel about this change in my thinking. My drive is not to be focused on losing that next pound or logging how much I exercised today. Instead, I am taking a spiritual approach, and checking in with my inner self to set my focus.

Does this make you wonder what I"m talking about, or question how this will be accomplished?  Let’s back this story up just a bit to shed some light on what I mean.

I’ve spent my whole life allowing my thoughts to be controlled by my emotions. Believing fully in my feelings, but not trusting my inner guidance. In other words, listening to my head instead of my heart. But it goes deeper than that. 

I believe in the power of our inner spirit. It’s really who we are anyway. This covering of flesh and bone serves us well to navigate our earthly lives, but our spirit is strong inside of us, whether our bodies are working the way they should or not.

It takes effort to slow down our whirlwind lives and shift our focus to our inner selves, but it is time well spent. This calm can be achieved through the practice of various breathing techniques, as well as through meditation and yoga.

Anytime we can block out the busyness of the world around us, and send our focus inward, we begin to connect with our inner spirit. Breath work is an easy and pleasant way to calm our bodies and our thoughts, and starts us on the path of our inner journey.

Once we find what soothes us, whether it is calm music, a yoga practice, or a walk in nature, we can use this time to connect with our inner being. It should feel relaxed, and not forced.  There is no fear in facing your true inner self.

When you have created calmness away from the outside world, you may begin to focus on whatever may be your most prevalent emotion or thought. By the guidance of your inner spirit, you may solve your problem, or not. But you will certainly gain some insight.

Hopefully, you will come away with the realization that what matters most is seeking your own inner peace. We have so little control over what the rest of the world is doing. We only have control over how we respond to the myriad stimuli around us.

As we learn to trust our inner guidance, our thoughts and actions will reflect our beliefs as we honor our inmost selves. 

By regularly practicing this focus on our inner journey, we begin to more quickly connect with our inner power. We become familiar with the inclinations of our true self, and respond to the tugging of our spirit when we need to make a decision. In short, we learn to trust ourselves.

I’ve spent the last couple of years meeting my inner self for long walks in the woods, and learning to shift my focus inward when I need to evaluate my outward situation. By learning to trust myself, I find I feel more confident and self-assured. 

Even though I’ve made the switch from allowing my circumstances to control the outcome of any given situation, it was a revelation for me to realize a new outlook for my new year. An epiphany, if you like.

No longer will I rely on my strong self-will - which crumbles at the sight of chocolate! I will use the strength of my inner being as my compass, to guide me to make right choices, and to steer me into the wellness I’ve dreamed about for years.

By nourishing my inner spirit, and giving my body the rest it needs along with the healthy foods I already eat, I know my goals will be obtained. Yes, goals. This is a new word for me. I’m more of a “let’s see what happens” kind of girl. But this year, I am setting goals, milestones that will further my cause of wellness. Perhaps this starts with de-cluttering, and in fact I have already begun to purge what is unnecessary.

But even more than what I achieve in my physical world, my emphasis and focus will be to keep in constant connection with my inner world. After all, I am the only person I am going to spend my whole life with.

***************************************************************

For those of you who waited to see our Christmas tree decorated for the holidays, here is a photo. I’ve made all our holiday visitors make a guess as to how many ornaments they think are on the tree. Now I have to take them all down and count them!

 Happy Holidays!