I was an English Major student in undergrad and one of my favorite courses was Shakespearean studies. Maybe it’s just my love for theater and plays and I had an opportunity to act in a few stage plays and write some plays for my church some years ago. I still have my Arden Complete Works of Shakespeare handy and from time to time I like to sip my tea and glance through my favorite scenes in Othello and the rest.
This quote however has stuck with me since 2002 when I first read it in Hamlet, act 1 scene 3 of the play. It was spoken by King Claudius’ chief minister, Polonius as part of a speech where he was giving his son, Laertes, his blessing and advice on how to behave whilst at university.
“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”
The world is getting more and more intriguing by the day and I for one made a decision years ago to not worry about pleasing other people, or living by someone else’s rules or standards, but rather, living according to what God expects of me and the standards I have set for myself without compromise. Don’t take this the negative way because I still exercise circumspection in the environments I find myself in and the people around me at any given time. My dear friend, I found my peace in that reality. It was a personal deliverance session and transformation for me. Truth is, we all look at life and the world from our own lenses. Thus, the smaller your focus, the smaller your perception of life. My progressive lenses prescription is quite higher than most, all PUN intended here because I started wearing my lenses in 2007 so you will expect the higher and bigger lens prescription by now. Humans have unrealistic expectations of others but do not even hold ourselves to the same standards we expect others to perform at. So, take King Claudius’ advice like I did and live to please God and your soul. Do you know that when you stay true to your authentic self, you actually shine brighter?
I pray for you this week that God will deliver you from yourself and cause you to set your focus on Him and the excellent things He has in store for you. May it be so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
XOXO,
Lady Abena.