The letter of the week is “S”, so what better word to talk about is “Self.” There are a number of definitions of the word “self” including “a person’s nature or character.” The word “self” is often followed by a second word used to describe a person or a state of mind. Many are negative in connotation, such as: self-assertion, self-centered, self-gratification, self-serving or self-importance. These all tent to be traits that can be called egocentric.
One of the worse diseases in the world is egomania. It’s the disease where everyone is sick except the one who has it.
Then there are more positive words added to the word “self”, such as: self-sufficient, self-respect, self-motivation, self-discipline, and self-determination. Self-determination is one of the things that made America the great country that it is. Self-motivation is one of the hardest things to come by. There have been many people in the world who waited around for someone to come motivate them to do something, only to sadly find out that that person never came. We all must motivate ourselves.
Is our self-image one of the negative ones or one of the positive ones. Only the person in the mirror knows for sure:
When you get all you want and you struggle for self,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please,
never mind all the rest.
For he’s with you right to the end,
and you’ve passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world,
down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
To put it another way, when you look in the mirror each day, 2=2 must equal 4. You are the only one who knows if it does or not. If it doesn’t, you need to work on your math.
