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.

 

Where Do I Turn?

We lift prayers for family members who are traveling a difficult road of life. We pray for healing and comfort for those who are ill or recovering from surgery or another trauma. 

When I pray for others, I ask for God’s presence to be near the person in need. God’s all-powerful presence is calming and peaceful for me, so I pray for others to feel the calming peace of knowing God is near to them, too.

Each time we face a trial, we have a choice. I know not long ago my reaction to a stressful situation would have been to completely stress out. I would feel frustrated and out of control, totally unsure of what to do. Now I have a new tactic. I pray.

Turning to God in the midst of my stress is very calming. I wish I could say I always remember to do this right away, but I am still learning! Each day is a new opportunity to try a different way of dealing with the challenges our lives bring. For me, turning to God releases some of my burden. I envision leaning on Him for support, encouragement and direction. My thoughts become clearer, and I look for solutions instead of focusing on the problem.

I have also learned that my emotions are information. Very important information. I used to be afraid of my strong emotions, and I held them inside instead of releasing them. Now if I feel sad, or confused, I try to figure out why. Sometimes it’s good to just let it out (privately if possible). Go ahead and cry or be angry and yell at the wind. Then, when the emotions have subsided, it is easier to see more clearly. Examine where the emotion came from, what caused it and what can be done to remedy the situation.

We are given emotions and nerves to sense our world. Another great tool is our intuition, or instinct. We have come to rely on our material world for all of our needs, but there is a part of us that can sense beyond tactile or other sensory perception. 

All animals are born with instinct to survive. We have protected ourselves in our safe little worlds and don’t often use our instincts anymore. But they are still there. 

Sometimes we have an instinctual feeling about a person or situation, and we need to trust the feeling and listen to that tiny voice. It can be difficult with the noise and busyness of our lives. But if you practice trusting your intuition, you will find it to be a helpful tool to use in navigating your way through this life.

So where do I turn? I learn a lot about myself and how to deal with a situation by understanding my reaction to it. When I am overwhelmed, which is frequently, I turn to my Savior for peace and direction. Most of the time I am sustained with the comfort that acknowledging Him brings me. Knowing that He is always near is a great comfort. His peace calms my spirit so that I can find a direction to resolve the situation. 

God’s Spirit lives in us, when we make our hearts welcoming to His presence. This is achieved through relationship with Him and through striving for right living. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. We can never be. But we can strive to live our lives according to His principles, learning and growing in our understanding of ourselves and our place in this world.  Through His love, we can learn of His perfect peace. 

Please enjoy this video of Laura Story's thought-provoking song, "Blessings". I have had the priviledge of sharing the message of this song through singing it with my sweet sisters in Christ in our trio at church. Laura has faced incredible trials in her life, through her husband's illness, and this song was born out of her experience of praying her way through that trial.