To My Children, Remember This

Shakespeare's Famous quotes of wisdom as spoken by Polonius:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend

This above all: to thine own self be true

His meaning at the time might be a bit different than it's common use today, but these two phrases are so very true. If you live by any motto, remember to think on these.

The first, talks of borrowing and lending in general and then to friends and family. It is always a good idea to only spend what you can afford and to live well below your means. Know exactly what you earn and need to pay. And only spend above that when all your priorities have been met. Shakespeare never trumps the Bible, so give due diligence to paying your tithe of 10% first.

Lending to friends and family is never wise. It can cause hard feelings and uncomfortable situations. If you want to help, give it completely or not at all. I try to always give as a gift to friends and family. Later if they are able and pay you back in any way you are both pleased and there are no hard feelings either way.

The second quote was used to continue the theme, but has become the sentiment of a generation. They even use it to excuse their selfishness. Polonious was counseling his son to take care of himself first so he could then help others. Similar to the procedure in an airplane that is crash landing. Always put on your own mask so you'll be coherent enough to help those next to you. 

I do however agree that you should be true to who you are, as many use this quote. Maintain your integrity and individuality always. Anyone that tries to change you doesn't accept you as you are. Love for yourself is the most important self realization tool we have. You must love yourself first in order to share that love with another.

So meditate, spend hours in reflection, pray, seek knowledge, do whatever it takes to find what makes you feel alive. And then share that aspect of yourself with those you trust. Expand from there to include others you may not even know. Always be gracious of compliments and thoughtful of critiques. Feedback is needed for growth, so take the good with the bad and try to only focus on what is helpful and learn to let go of the hateful or negative backlash.

There will always be those negative few that try to infect others with their sarcasm and self hatred. Learn to spot them early and avoid that interaction as much as possible. When you feel like you've failed, remember that it doesn't have to perfect, it only needs to be your best. Some of the greatest moments in history are the result of what we do after we've fallen.

Never forget that your Mother and Father love you regardless your outcomes. There is no action or reaction needed to gain our favor. You have it simply because you are. Living is being under stress, your best effort is all that is needed, success shouldn't be measured by any other means.