subject: The Importance of Self [print this page] The Importance of Self The Importance of Self
The Importance of Self
A good friend of mine invited me to a retreat titled The Transformational Agenda. When I first read what the retreat was about, it intrigued me. The articles that prepared you for the retreat, talked about "knowing thyself". When you hear this phrase, you say okay, so far, so good. This just might be interesting, but how is this helpful for what I am dealing with today? Is this retreat worth my time? We all think and know some things about ourselves, but when we realize just how much we don't know, is when the transformation begins.
This is not to say that we don't understand who we are, because we all deal with the realities of our lives everyday. By choice or no choice, it depends on the circumstances. So, it is with that in mind, we feel we really do know who and what we are, because it is us, dealing with our problems, no one else. I thought the same way.
Those words, "Know thy self", are very powerful words. How much does one really know about him or herself? We have received our preparation for life from previous experiences, but mostly from the values, characters and ethics past down from generations.
There is nothing more beautiful than to receive your rights of passage to adulthood in this manner. The difference is in the substance provided. Empowered people of the world prepare their offspring's by instilling the importance of those who paved the road for their future. It provides vital and critical links to whom and what you really are. So many of us don't have any idea or ignore who or where our roots originate from. "To get where you want to go, understand from where you came." Don't just skim the surface, research it. You will find that it will enrich you with a spirit that demands that you become the best of what God created you to be. It will help you to understand why you do the foolish things, described as "keeping it real."
We have so many traditions, values and ideas that are so outdated and irrelevant that we still draw on to shape how we manage our everyday lives, it borders on insanity. Repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results. When we open the doors to our past and reach out to what and who we were really intended to be, the transition becomes much easier. You will realize the sacrifice of others, is one the keys to your development. You begin to understand, the sacrifices made on your behalf. You also realize that you have roots, never before taken advantage of, and now give you a direct line to your past. It is knowing from where you origin, that helps to shape your destiny. This is a major link, that is most commonly overlooked and yet one the most important links to utilize. Take advantage of who you are and what God intended for you to be. Be the difference.
