Is What You Want What You Really Want?
If you’ve ever sought – or still seek – the approval or your parents (maybe without realising) or if you’ve ever felt worried about disappointing your nearest and dearest – whether through career, relationships, geographical environment or otherwise – remember – you have your own mind, your own heart and ultimately your own path – and it’s yours and yours alone to discover.
So in the spirit of finding your authenticity – and helping others to find theirs – here’s your third soul-nourishing instalment from Kahlil Gibran’s spiritual bible, The Prophet – this time on children.
\\ Your children are not your children.
They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you \\
How Can You Apply This In Your Daily Life?
It’s all too easy to default to child mode in this busy, topsy turvy world – to do what you’ve been brought up to do and to follow what you feel you ought to do. To over-focus on the ‘should’ path of the mind, not the ‘want’ path of the soul – and to seek the approval of those that that we hold dear over and above listening to that quiet voice inside.
But the only question of REAL value – the most important thing of all – is working out YOUR authentic path – what YOU really want – deep down inside – not your best friend, your sister or any other – just – little – old – you.
What’s The Bottom Line?
You’ve only got one life – so do what feels right – for you and only you. And if you’re struggling to work out what that is, take some time out and ask yourself – if you had two years to live, what would you do?