Be Yourself

Point to Ponder: "Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah." Richard Bach 

Reflection: If I have to sum up 65 years of journey in two words, I would say, “Be Yourself”.

Living with these deep meaning words as the guiding principle and aligning values and practices in harmony with them has brought a lot of fulfillment and joy in life. On a few occasions when the value or practices were misaligned with the guiding principle, it had resulted in terrible mistakes and sadness.

As I officially gain the status of Senior Citizen today, I would like to share a wonderful message from Rumi to my family of Friday Reflections: “Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.” 

Comments

[Ex Rable Rouser]

"On a few occasions when the value or practices were misaligned with the guiding principle, it had resulted in terrible mistakes and sadness"

Exactly what do you mean? No one should "Be Yourself" all the time? We are human, we have feeling, emotion and can be delicate/vulnerable. They should NOT be hurt at time. Sometime NOT "be yourself" might help. Guiding Principle is important, but it is even more important to consider for the greater good of the situations. It is call sacrifice.

Happy Birthday to you and wish you many more!

[Prasad Vepa]

I wish you a very happy Medicare Birthday Anand and also wish you good health so you don’t need much Medicare! Your cryptic reflection is sound indeed. It is similar to the last line of the advice Hamlet received from his father: “Above all, to thine own self be true!” The well known observation from Rumi points to the same insight: I kept knocking on the door until I realized I was inside! We generally knock on other doors hoping to find compatible shelters and voices until we realize we need to not knock — but unlock — our own door from within to find and uncover our authentic self in the cave of our own heart.
I would say that ‘Being yourself’ is necessary, but not sufficient. It is much more important to KNOW yourself. Otherwise one runs the risk of acting like one of our presidents who suffered from the illusion of being ‘The Decider’ and erroneously concluded that it conferred upon him the powers of a Nero and the wisdom of a Solomon! But he was being himself. The duty to awaken from our long, deep slumber of hazy illusion and to uncover the truth of our deepest self is the highest human obligation as Vedanta teaches us and as Shankara proclaimed. This truth will set us free and liberate us from suffering, which is really caused more by ignorance of our true self than by desire. When you know yourself you WILL be yourself. And your thought, word and deed will be aligned.
Your dear friend, Prasad Vepa, Cupertino.

[Humble Warrior]

Happy Bday Anand! Thanks for being you... becuase their is no one like you!

[Thomas]

I wish you a wonderful and joyous birthday celebration, Anand. Thanks for many years of Friday Reflections.

[Levi's]

Congratulations on the milestone, and I guess eligibility for some discounts, too.
"On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reason's the card, but passion the gale." -Alexander Pope
(note: card = compass)

[ST]

Many happy returns. Wish you all the happiness and good health always. Have thoroughly enjoyed the meaningful stories behind every reflection.

[Friend]

Belated happy birthday. Hope you celebrated with lots of love around you and been yourself🤗
Or rather the love around you makes you to be yourself