Success is liking yourself, liking what
you do, and liking how you do it. –Maya
Angelou
I love this
simple prescription for living well. It cuts right through all the
socio-cultural bullshit we are conditioned to think of as normal, ideal and
acceptable.
The first
encouragement suggests that if our life has no foundation in self-respect,
dignity or personal integrity we will have failed ourselves in the most basic
and soul-destroying way possible. And no amount of worldly success will ever
make up for the loss. So, we better learn to come to terms with ourselves flaws, failings and
all. Which is to say, we need to show ourselves a little love.
With a little love and respect intact, liking what we do becomes easier and more natural—embracing our native abilities,
talents, personality and potential is now a freer exercise in living well, using whatever it is that we’ve been given as an opportunity
to explore new territory.
And very closely
linked to this idea is how we choose to do things—creatively and in sync with
our values preferably. Salient
point being to refine our value system and preserve our personal integrity as we make our way along our chosen path.
Simple, but not
easy, liking ourselves, what we do and how we do it, is a great template from which
to create a life of depth, substance and joy.
Basic and real.
Basic and real.
