by A. Fader

Created on: April 23, 2009

How do you hold onto yourself when living in a world like the one we live in today? Day-in and day-out we're fed contradicting messages about how to look, how to act, how we should feel who to be. It's not hard to see why people (especially the young persons of today) become confused and sometimes lose their way on the path of life. By no means have I figured it all out, but I do believe that one should find a way to define one's self and it's important to do so by defining what it is you believe in. What words do you live by?

For myself, I personally like to keep things simple, so I have three main ideas I try to abide by. And to be fair, I haven't always lived by these words, but simply because it took me some time before I eventually came to realize the truth of their message for myself. So, if there is any advice that I have for my brothers and sisters out there, it would be this:

What goes around comes around.

Whether you choose to believe in karma or not, I have seen it proven time and time again that you get what you give; so treat others the way you expect to be treated. Even go so far as to give a little more if you can, without the thought of receiving more back. If this isn't possible, at the very least just try to live your life as a good person; positivity is an infectious quality that makes for happier surroundings overall.

Never underestimate the power of asking for what you want.

No matter how great, how small or how ridiculous you think it may sound, just ASK. This is true of any facet of life be it relationships, work or even just to gain more knowledge it's a must. You cannot expect others to read your mind, nor is it worthwhile to sit around and hope for things to fall in your lap. You might just be surprised at what you can achieve, or learn, by simply asking the question you want to know the answer to. I can guarantee you that you won't always hear the answer you were looking for, but in the end at least you have an answer and you can decided where to go from there. Besides, you may never know if you don't ask, or by the time you find the answer to your question it may be too late to achieve what you were originally after. Don't miss out - the more you inquire, the more you know.

Be true to yourself.

This may sound clich, but those words couldn't hold more truth. If you aren't honest with yourself, you make it difficult for others to be honest with you. All too often we end up trying to be the person we think someone else wants us to be, rather than just being ourselves. If someone cannot accept you for who you are, then chances are you are likely better off without that individual in your life anyway. Be honest about who you are, what you're capable of and what you're capable of achieving. Granted sometimes there will be room for self-improvement, but the more you accept your faults, the easier it will be to turn them around and rise to heights you didn't imagine possible for yourself. You will never find that which truly makes you happy if you're not honest with yourself and those in your life. So learn to be comfortable in your own skin, and to love yourself, through and through. You have to help yourself before anyone else can.

So that's it. And while these words carry great relevance for me, I realize that perhaps they are not as profound in the minds of others; however, if nothing else, they carry the seed of common sense which is something the world can always use more of. I hope that in living by this advice I'll have no regrets, because really that's all anyone wants in the end.

Learn more about this author, A. Fader.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.