Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession...
Do that which is assigned to you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
It took me a while to get my brain around this quotation but in a nutshell I think it simply means 'be yourself.'
There is another old saying 'Imitation is the greatest form of flattery'
I see many people trying to copy others and yet Emerson is telling us 'just be yourself.'
Be proud of who you are and what you have done in your life and work.
I have always felt the work that you invent, love and own will always be more satisfying than work that is allocated to you by someone else. That work just never feels the same as that which you created.
Anyway ...interesting thought - thank you Ralph!!
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8 comments:
This is really a great subject. We often seem to want to compare ourselves to other people or what we think others expect us to be. By doing this we make it very difficult to enjoy the things we accomplish. we spend so much time trying to measure up or keep up with the Jones's. We get caught up in the hustle of trying to keep up that we lose sight of what is really important. We lose sight of family and relationships. the reward we often get is damaged self esteem, broken families, and health problems. I am learning that the most important things are the things we take most for granted. In all this we tend to lose sight of who we are and what we have accomplished. I am learning that the best thing is to be me. Not what others expect or what I think they expect. My wife, Mykids, my family, friends and slow leisurely walks are the greatest things I have. they are my legacy. They will remeber long after I am gone. They will honor me. My job will replace me in less than a week. These are lessons I must learn and work to cultivate. It is best to be ourselves.
Profound and yet simple advice as always Rocky - regards my friend
Trevor
I recently finished reading maxwell Maltz book Psycho-Cybernetics. in his book he described success and failure this way:
S-Sense of direction F-frustration
U-understanding A-aggression
C-courage I-insincerity
C-charity L-loneliness
E-esteem U-uncertainty
S-self confidence R-resentment
S-self acceptance E-emptiness
I think when we start to compare ourselves we could do well to compare to this points on a personal level and maybe try to view others through the lens to see if they match up to any of these. Not some standard set in board rooms or elsewhere. Instead of trying to measure up to others maybe we should evaluate from within. just a thought.
That did not come out the way i wanted.I had success and failure in columns, but hopefully you get the idea.
Brilliant Rocky - well said
I love my own 'mirror test'
Look at the guy you see when shaving and ask him "Did I do my best. Did I retain my integrity. Did I do my homework?" - That is the ONLY person who is qualified to give you the correct answer.
We are our own greatest critics - I genuinely believe that if we simply trust our staff then 99% will not abuse that trust - please just let the folks at the front line make up their own rules.
Don't misunderstand - I am not talking anarchy - just good simple common sense.
Rocky - Have you sometimes thought - like me - that it is a pathetic statement that we have to even have a discussion in business that starts off with the words "Can we trust our staff?" - isn't that a disgusting state of affairs?
It is tragic that we even have to raise the question - OF COURSE WE CAN TRUST OUR STAFF - THEY ARE THE EXPERTS.
Phew - good to get that rant out of my system - thanks again Rocky for your wonderful insights my friend - maybe I will get the book you recommend.
Trevor
Yes, you are right, but I am much more educated than other people, more intelligent, I read a lot, and many people do not understand me and do not like me, that I am not like them a limited ignorant. You might say do not care, stay with the intelligent ones, but intelligent educated ones are not in control of the society, they are not my boss1
Yes, you are right, but I am much more educated than other people, more intelligent, I read a lot, and many people do not understand me and do not like me, that I am not like them a limited ignorant. You might say do not care, stay with the intelligent ones, but intelligent educated ones are not in control of the society, they are not my boss1
Yes, you are right, but I am much more educated than other people, more intelligent, I read a lot, and many people do not understand me and do not like me, that I am not like them a limited ignorant. You might say do not care, stay with the intelligent ones, but intelligent educated ones are not in control of the society, they are not my boss1
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