To Thine Own Self be True on this Valentine’s Day

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
  Thou canst not then be false to any man.
    Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

–William Shakespeare (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3, 78-81)

In the play Hamlet, the famous line To thine own self be true, is Polonius’ last piece of advice to his son Laertes who is in a hurry to get on the next boat to Paris, where he can finally get away from his father’s long-winded speeches.  If you’ve read the play,  you know that Polonius is speaking of something much more than the New Age self-knowledge which the phrase now suggests. As Polonius sees it, borrowing money, loaning money, carousing with those of dubious character and other immoderate pursuits, will allow one to be false to thy self. In my opinion, by being false, Polonius seems to mean to be disadvantageous or detrimental to your image; by being true, he means to be loyal to your own best interests. Take care of yourself first, he counsels, and that way you’ll be in a position to take care of others. As we all know, there is much wisdom in the father’s warning to his son.

This wisdom is something that we should all begin to strive for and live by.  It makes for better relationships, friendships and above all else, character.  To give falsely or to take falsely, is to live falsely! To live falsely is not only a disservice to yourself, but it is a profound disservice to your spirit.  It’s a disservice to those who care for you, to those who depend on you, to those who confide in you and to those who are in a position to help you (i.e. your clique).  It is a total disservice to your entire reason of being.  We were not created in the false image of our Creator; we were created in the true image of our Creator.

So on this Valentine’s Day, let us start by being true to our own self.  On this special day of Love, the greatest gift we can give or take, is the gift of truth and honesty to self.  It is only then that we will be able to shine truth on others.  And like you, I have plenty of work ahead of me:-)

Published in: on February 14, 2013 at 12:58 pm  Leave a Comment  

This Holiday: Don’t Forget About YOU!

Today I went to a department store and guess what I saw from wall to wall and floor to ceiling?  Christmas decorations!  Thanksgiving isn’t until next week, but we know that department stores like to start decorating early…really early.    With the Holiday season upon us, many times we focus on how to make ourselves available to others.  Where should I go for Thanksgiving?  Should I have it at my house? Who should I put on my Christmas list?  Should I stay home this New Year’s Eve or go out with friends?

These are just some of the questions we ask ourselves this time of year, which is why this is one of the most stressful times of the year.  But in the mist of all the stress, don’t forget to take time out for yourself.  We all know that the Holiday season is about giving, but what it is not about is depleting yourself.  Whether it is money, time or energy, always remember, you can give a little more next year!  Also, if you’re alone this holiday season, please don’t waste your time wallowing in sorrow. I know that not being with family or loved ones during the Holidays can be a bummer, but use that energy to do something positive like taking a trip to a new city or exploring new places in your own city.  Believe me; it’s nothing like having a bottle of champagne all to yourself when ringing in the New Year!

Unlike previous years, I will definitely be taking some time for myself this Holiday season.  It’s winter and I need to hibernate, reflect and get ready for the beautiful transitions that will come once this season is over.  I suggest you do the same.

Published in: on November 15, 2012 at 12:42 pm  Comments (4)  

I’m Baaack!!!!

I know that I haven’t posted anything for a few months, but I took a little time off to reflect, refocus and re-energize myself for this upcoming year.  The Year of The Dragon will be one to remember, at least for me anyway!

In these past few months, so many current events has occurred, both in and out of the headlines.  There were many events that I would’ve blogged about, but there are times when observation becomes the only way to elevate our intellect, as well as cultivate our opinions.  So that was what I decided to do…observe my surroundings and internalize my thoughts and opinions.   By educating myself through travel and experience, I have changed both personally & professionally.   Change is something I, not only look forward to, but embrace.  It the one thing that is necessary to evolve, and evolution means growth.

So let’s get ready for a new year of intellectual topics, discussions and observations from a Third Eye View!

Published in: on January 25, 2012 at 10:52 am  Comments (1)  

Get Into The Spirit…

Halloween is less than a week away.  And this is a holiday for children and adults alike.  So, if you haven’t done so already, get your costumes, candy and whatever else you need.  This is a fun holiday, so make the most of it!

Published in: on October 25, 2011 at 1:15 pm  Leave a Comment  

The Beautiful Month of October

This is my favorite month of the year!  Not only is October the month of my birth, but it signifies that the holidays of fall are upon us.  Enjoy and take part in all festivities which includes, Cancer Awareness walks, AIDS walks, apple picking, and the favorite of all Halloween!

Published in: on October 3, 2011 at 6:05 pm  Leave a Comment  

A Beautiful Adventurous Journey

On the journey of life, things never go as planned.  But after every adventure, new visions, ideas and challenges have a way of changing us for the better.  After returning from and reflecting upon my recent vacation, I can truly say that this journey was comparatively and ultimately, life changing.

I took a lovely and adventurous vacation to Italy with over 70+ other women. During this vacation, my body–both physically and spiritually, was pushed to limits I never expected.  I laughed until my head hurt, ate until my stomach hurt, observed and heard things that made me emotionally hurt and walked until my feet hurt!  However through all of that hurt, I’ve never felt so much joy!  Joy to be surrounded by and learn from other beautiful, strong and positive women.  Joy to be able to lay my eyes upon monuments and sites which I once only read about.   Joy in knowing that blessings comes in many forms, as well as in abundance! The lessons I learned was more than any book, classroom or television program could have taught me.  I learned about life.  The art of living, trusting, giving, learning, experiencing and seeing the true essence of others, as well as myself.  Gaining self-confidence, awareness and learning how to navigate the journey of life through the eyes of others, is an unforgettable lesson. Forming new friendships based upon one’s inner and not outer self and letting down your guard with strangers while teaching and learning about life, is a beautiful thing.

So this journey, as well as the beautiful souls I met along the way, gave me memories that will last a lifetime.  Along with everything I’ve learned from them, I can only hope that they were able to learn something from me as well.

 

Published in: on September 21, 2011 at 12:59 pm  Comments (5)  

As of late, I’ve been engulfing myself with knowledge for the betterment of myself.  There are so many things I want to accomplish and I had to come up with a plan to do it–all!!  The problem was that there was too much mental clutter going on inside my head for me think clearly.  So what does a girl like me do?  Clutter my brain with self-help knowledge that would assist me with de-cluttering my brain with the unnecessary knowledge and the planted seeds of doubt, holding me back from reaching my goals.  It may sound crazy, but I’m now back on track!

The two books that have forever changed my way of thinking are listed below.  Please get a copy, so you to can get on track to your true journey, which we call life.

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay  

 

 

 

 

 

Key to Living the Law of Attraction by Jack Canfield and D.D. Watkins

Published in: on July 26, 2011 at 3:53 pm  Leave a Comment  

The Real Meaning of Vacation

I just returned from a much-needed vacation!  I visited islands in the Southern Caribbean.   Leaving from San Juan,  I visited St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados and my favorite island of all, St. Maarten or St. Martin (depending on whether you’re on the Dutch or French side)!

I met so many interesting people, had plenty of fun, ate fabulous cuisine and just disconnected from the world, while reconnecting with myself.   I wasn’t even trying to go on a personal/spiritual journey when I took this vacation, but that is exactly what happened and I am very grateful for it.  I feel physically renewed, emotionally revived and spiritually replenished.

In this world of being busy-bodies, we often misinterpret the actual meaning behind the phrase ‘taking a vacation’.  The word vacation derived from the Latin word vacare, meaning “to be unoccupied, empty, free, or at leisure”.   However during my vacation, I spent Easter Sunday in Old San Juan, P.R.  In Old San Juan people are very spiritual/religious and it is something that you can actually feel and even smell in the air.    I visited an old Catholic church and while taking pictures, a priest came up to me asking if he would be seeing me at mass the following Sunday.  I informed him that I was visiting and as I began speaking to him about my renewed self, he informed me that the Latin word vacare actually derived from the Latin phrase vacare Deo, meaning “to be empty for God; to be at leisure for or available to God.”  He began to explain to me that when a true vacation is taken, it is only natural that one will feel spiritually replenished.  Then he asked me, Do you think it is an accident that you are here on “vacation” and speaking to me about this on Easter Sunday?

All I could do was smile, because at that very moment, I realized that nothing in this world is an accident or coincidence.  There is a time for everything and I will definitely began making time for the next ‘vacation’.

Published in: on April 25, 2011 at 1:45 pm  Leave a Comment  

New Discoveries

For the past few weeks I have been in between a hibernate yet depressive mood.  This in between state of mind is never good for the soul, so I decided to read about anything and anyone for some sort of inspiration to get me excited and motivated.   Before I started my search, I decided to isolate myself in stillness and engross soul in my own thoughts, asking my Creator to guide me toward not only what I wanted, but also what I needed .  Because of my love of art, culture, music, language and literature, I figured that I have gained adequate knowledge about  obtaining inspiration without having to search outside of myself, but by searching within.  Knowing and understanding that everything first begins with God and ones own inner strength and inner peace.

Last night, I called my father.  I usually speak to him several times a week, but because of this isolation process, it was going on two weeks without him hearing from me.  During our phone conversation, we begin to speak about affairs concerning an upcoming family reunion and the conversation began to turn into a family history/genealogical lesson.   As my father is running down the names of his ancestors, I begin to tell him about my recent depressed state, my father says, “I remember when I was really young and I was feeling a little down and my Grandfather said that ‘A man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss.’ ” His Grandfather’s first cousin Auguste once told this to his Grandfather and his grandfather told him.   It seems as if my great-grandfather spoke of his cousin Auguste, who lived in France, frequently.   Auguste was a writer who not only wrote plays and novels, but he also helped to write great novels along with other French writers.  I told my father that the quote he said sound very familiar, as if I read or heard it somewhere before.   So I ask my father if he knew the surname to cousin Auguste from France and he said, that it  was either McKay or Markay, but being that it was a french surname, he was unsure of the spelling.  So this morning when I googled the quote, the quote is actually from my favorite author of all time-Monsieur Alexandre Dumas!  If you don’t know much about this author, please do some research on him.  It is because of him, I love literature as much as I doand it is also because of him, some of the greatest adventure movies have been made.  I knew that I had read that saying before, and as I did further research I discovered that one of Alexandre Dumas’ most famous assistants in writing some of his greatest novels was a man named Auguste Maquet!!  Talk about a motivational discovery of ones self and history.  I feel like one of those celebrities sitting in front of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

I will definitely be doing more family research to find out if this Auguste Maquet is the same first cousin of my great-Grandfather.   I will keep you posted….

Published in: on March 21, 2011 at 1:52 pm  Leave a Comment  
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