Who picks you up when you are down?
Who guides you on when you are lost?
Who encourages you when hope is gone?
Who gives you sunshine when there is rain?
Who gives you comfort when there is pain?
Who gives you faith when there is doubt?
Who gives you light when there is dark?– From my first book, Jewels for the Mind.
With all the support, sympathy and heroic things he does for you, he has to be the most important person in the world. Yet, oftentimes, you don’t value him enough, don’t give him due recognition for his good efforts, and don’t reward him enough for his remarkable achievements. He is often the last on your list and there are times when you even put him down.
So, who is this almost saintly martyr who puts up with all your kinks, unreasonableness, idiosyncrasies and stupidities, and stands by you no matter what?
You! It is you who cries a tear when you are hurt, picks you up when you are down, guides you forward when you are lost, encourages you when hope is gone. You give yourself sunshine when there is rain, give soothing comfort when there is pain, build up your faith when there is doubt, light up the way when it is dark. Yes, the most important person in the world is you!
Love yourself. Before you can love anyone, you must first love yourself. You cannot give what you don’t have. Fill your heart with love, make it overflow. Then it will be easy to love others. Most importantly, stop living your life for other people. Helping others is noble but don’t do it at the expense of losing your own life. Charity begins at home.
Be healthy. Your greatest wealth is your health. Do your best to keep yourself healthy and strong. Your body is the vessel within which you travel this journey. Keep it properly fed and maintained, glowing with health and bursting with energy.
Know thyself. The great philosophers have preached it through the ages – to know yourself is your number one purpose in life. Learn everything about yourself and understand yourself. There are many things about ourselves that we refuse to acknowledge and accept. The only way anyone can be totally happy is by knowing, understanding and accepting who and what he is.
Learn. There are laws that govern the universe and formulas that apply to every aspect of life. You have to know them and be properly aligned to them for a successful and prosperous existence. Learn from experience, travel and discover the world, read, attend lectures and seminars, and get a mentor.
Help yourself first. During untoward incidents in airplanes, parents are advised to fasten their seatbelts first before attending to their children. The same is true in life. Secure yourself first so you would be in a better position to help others. Strive to be stable physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially so you can be a strong rock for others to anchor their lives on.
Be rich. Be wealthy in all the aspects of life. Aside from financial and material fortune, accumulate knowledge, wisdom, emotional and spiritual depth, and build a treasure trove of extraordinary experiences in your life. Develop a positive, prosperous attitude and an infectious joie de vivre. Be financially wealthy and abundant so you can help others to be the same.
Treasure yourself. There is no treasure more valuable than you. You are more precious than gold, more beautiful than any diamond. You must give yourself the importance that you deserve. Treasure yourself; treat yourself with the greatest esteem. Don’t ever undervalue, underrate or undersell yourself. You are a priceless treasure and don’t you ever forget that.
Respect yourself. Self-respect is very important. Develop the golden virtues of honesty, sincerity, trustworthiness and fairness. Live a just and respectable life. Realize your sanctity and revere yourself. Make your life be a temple that you build one day at a time, a gleaming monument to your personal dignity, integrity and magnanimity.
Be true to yourself. How often we deceive ourselves. We fabricate self-made truths and fool ourselves into believing them by giving twisted rationalizations. We fall into the trap of our own illusions and live our lives believing they are real. Try to see through the blinding curtains of your ego. Know how to separate the real truth from what you want to be true. The truth will set you free and will make you happy.
Reward yourself. When people are good to you, you love and reward them generously. Don’t forget to do the same to yourself. Always reward yourself for all the good things you do and successes you achieve. Pamper yourself. Indulge in the lush comfort and lavish luxuries of life. What is life for if not to enjoy all the goodness and pleasures it can bring?