Without Contrast You Cannot See

"Without Contrast You Cannot See." - David Julio Wang

Distance Brings Perspective

"Distance Brings Perspective." - A Common Saying

Better To Have The World Hate You For Who You Are, Than Love You For Who You Are Not

"Better To Have The World Hate You For Who You Are,
Than Love You For Who You Are Not." - David Julio Wang

In a world of masks, I would choose to be hated for the face which is mine, than the mask I'm forced to wear.

Man Sharpens Man

"As Iron Sharpens Iron, So Man Sharpens Man." - Proverbs 27:17

It is through contact and interaction with others that a person becomes more developed.

This saying is a powerful one.
I think it will stay with me for a long time.
My thanks to Alex for introducing it to me.

Don't Judge Any Man Until You Have Walked Two Moons In His Moccasins

"Don't Judge Any Man Until You Have Walked Two Moons In His Moccasins." - Indian Proverb

Words to live by to be sure.

It Takes A Global Village, To Raise A Global Child

"It Takes A Global Village, To Raise A Global Child." - David Julio Wang

The world has become a small place, with the whole of humanity very close to each other.
Cultures are meeting and melding on a scale unseen in the history of humanity.
Today's children are children of the whole human race.

The Internet provides a tool for everyone to interact with each other on a scale heretofore unknown.
The Internet has become a forum for everyone to seek advice from the entirety of one's fellow human beings.
With the Internet, the concept of a Global Village has become a reality.

When A Door Closes, A Window Opens

"When A Door Closes, A Window Opens." - Dutch Proverb

The only constant is change.
When one path in life is blocked,
another path is opened up.
Such is the nature of balance,
and balance is the state the universe will always ceaselessly be seeking.

"There Is No Such Thing As A Dead End,
Even If You Cannot Immediately See A Way Out." - David Julio Wang

This reminds me of Rand in The Wheel of Time when he was trapped in a trunk,
shielded from the True Source,
and going mad from being endlessly cramped, beaten, and asphyxiating.
There appeared no way out,
but desperation drove him to find one,
and he did.
I do not wish that kind of horrible situation on anyone (including myself),
but even when a situation is horrible,
there is a way,
there is a path,
and you can find it.

You Have To Draw A Line In The Sand, Otherwise The Sands Of Time Will Sweep By You, With You Never Having Left Your Mark

"You Have To Draw A Line In The Sand,
Otherwise The Sands Of Time Will Sweep By You,
With You Never Having Left Your Mark." - David Julio Wang

I know that a line in the sand is anything but permanent,
but, truly, nothing is permanent,
in the end, it is all sand.

All I can say is that,
if you do not live your life with your emotions fully expressed,
you are left with nothing but regret.

Our Limits Define Who We Are. Know Your Limits, And Know How You Define Yourself

"Our Limits Define Who We Are.
Know Your Limits, And Know How You Define Yourself." - David Julio Wang

I will not allow my skin to be exposed to the sun without protection.
I will not purposefully hurt anything.
I always wash my hands before eating.

I have my limits.
Knowing them, I know what parts of myself form the hard outline of who I am.

When You Earn Your Own Respect, You Will Never Be Alone, For You Will Always Have Yourself

"When You Earn Your Own Respect, You Will Never Be Alone,
For You Will Always Have Yourself." - David Julio Wang

I have never earned my own respect,
so I desperately hope to be accepted by others...

But, I can never shake the desire to genuinely like myself,
and the only way I can do that is to be genuinely myself with everyone,
for better or for worse,
but,
at least I'll have myself.

This Above All Else : To Thine Own Self Be True, To Thine Own Feelings Be True

"This Above All Else : To Thine Own Self Be True, To Thine Own Feelings Be True."
- Lord Polonius (Hamlet, Shakespeare) Modified Slightly

I felt the need to modify this all-important quote to me,
because my feelings are the pressure which constantly pushes up from inside of myself,
making me want the things I want,
and the guidance I need.

Know The Vision You Have Of Yourself, And Know The Map Guiding Your Life

"Know The Vision You Have Of Yourself,
And Know The Map Guiding Your Life."
- David Julio Wang

How you see yourself, is how you make the decisions which direct your life.

I don't see myself as a very worthy human being,
thus have my decisions always been ones which bring me very little joy or sense of purpose.

That is why I have learned to truly look at myself,
to spend massive amounts of time in introspection.

I need to understand myself,
to find a way to move forward I can follow.

I remember the quote,
"Do Not Go Where I Cannot Follow."
I don't remember where it's from,
but that is what one part of myself would tell the other.

[True Strength] Comes Because Of A Need, Not A Desire

"[True Strength] Comes In Response To A Need, Not A Desire."
- Goku (Dragonball Z)

I guess it might seem pretty ridiculous that a 29 year old man still derives guidance from a cartoon designed for prepubescent boys, but, simply put, such is the case.

I don't feel 29 anyways.
I feel so far behind in life, I still feel I haven't moved beyond being a teenager.
What do you say Dick Clark is that a good way to be?

Well...I find this saying helpful to me,
because it reminds me that for me to find true strength in my life,
it must come from a powerful "need" not just a casual wish or desire
it must be truly compelling to impart true strength.

I can only imagine that coming from a true struggle for achieving meaning in life.

Set Limits In Your Life, So Regrets Don't Remove All Joy, Wonder And Purpose From It

"Set Limits In Your Life,
So Regrets Don't Remove All Joy, Wonder And Purpose From It."
- David Julio Wang

I am a person full of regrets.

I feel life has passed me by,
the sands of time seeping through my fingers,
with hardly a grain remaining in my palm to mark its passage.

I never liked the idea of setting limits on myself.
The concept seemed too constraining.

The voice I heard in my mind said something to the effect of,
"If you don't set limits, your life is going to pass you by, and you will regret it."

hmm...damnit.
the voice was right.

...i don't know.
i am quite lost...

But, I do know this.
The limits a person should set are ones which come from the heart,
ones which are born out of a sense of one's inner truth.

They must be limits which one feels are true to themselves.
You have to be "true" to yourself.
Otherwise, the limits you put on yourself feel like impositions and burdens,
not checks and balances to keep your life moving forward.

It Takes A Village To Raise A Child, What One Part Of The Village Cannot Teach, Another Part Can...

"It Takes A Village To Raise A Child,
What One Part Of The Village CannotTeach,
Another Part Can.
What One Part Of The Village Cannot Give,
Another Part Can.
What One Part Of The Village Cannot Love,
Another Part Can."
- African Proverb [modified by David Julio Wang]

I find myself extremely lost...

I wish I had had the courage when I was younger to go "out there" and seek out the parts of this Global Village (my human family) which could,
teach me what i want to know,
give me what i need to have,
and love me for the parts of me other can't.

It's a big world.
There are a lot of us here.

We don't expect one person to know everything,
or to be able to do everything.

We shouldn't expect 2 people, or even 3 people to be able to do everything for a person.
It takes many, many of us to provide the pieces a person needs to give their life meaning.

That is the nature of being part of a species which is gregarious,
which is social,
which is dependent upon one another for mutual survival and happiness.

The Greatest Joy For A Human Being Is Sharing What They Discover With Their Fellow Human Beings

"The Greatest Joy For A Human Being Is,
Sharing What They Discover With Their Fellow Human Beings." - David Julio Wang

If You Do Not Speak Your Mind, You Will Silence Your Heart

"If You Do Not Speak Your Mind, You Will Silence Your Heart." - David Julio Wang

Emotions Are The Fuel For Actions

"Emotions Are The Fuel For Actions,
For Behind Every Action, Lies An Emotion." - David Julio Wang

We have all been raised to deny our emotions to a greater or lesser degree.

Nothing Is More Important Than How A Person Feels

"Nothing Is More Important Than How A Person Feels.
For How A Person Feels,
Affects Everything A Person Does,
Everything A Person Is.
Nothing Is More Important Than How A Person Feels."
- David Julio Wang

If You Can't Talk To Mom, Talk To Grandma. If You Can't Talk To Grandma, Talk To Auntie. If You Can't Talk To Auntie, Talk To Cousin...

"If You Can't Talk To Mom, Talk To Grandma.
If You Can't Talk To Grandma, Talk To Auntie.
If You Can't Talk To Auntie, Talk To Your Cousin.
If You Can't Talk To Your Cousin, Talk To Your Friend.
If You Can't Talk To Your Friend, Talk To A Stranger.
For In The End, We Are All Family,
And What You Can't Talk About With One Part Of Your Family,
You Can Talk About With Another Part Of Your Family."
- David Julio Wang

Anybody Can Do Anything, If They Feel Believed In

"Anybody Can Do Anything, If They Feel Believed In." - David Julio Wang

That belief can come from within,
that belief can come from without.

I believe it is best when the belief comes from both sources.
A person so blessed is truly limitless.

When You Are Cast Out Of One Place, You Are Free To Travel The Road To Another

"When You Are Cast Out Of One Place,
You Are Free To Travel The Road To Another." - David Julio Wang

The More You Suffer, The More Empathy You Have For The Suffering Of Others

"The More You Suffer,
The More Empathy You Have For The Suffering Of Others."
- David Julio Wang

All my life I have never really felt like I belonged.

I tried to ignore the feeling,
distract myself from it with tv, books, video games,
none of it gave me real peace.

The only validation I can give to the experience is that the more suffering I experience,
the more I care about the suffering of others,
the more I need to do big things to change it.

...some people might say I have no idea what real suffering is like.
....well...seek and I shall find I suppose...

suffering.
purpose.
could the two be tied together?...

"We Are All Just Travelers On The Journey Of Life."
- Author Unknown

It Is Difficult To Celebrate The Success Of Others, If One Does Not Feel They Can Celebrate Their Own

"It Is Difficult To Celebrate The Success Of Others,
If One Does Not Feel They Can Celebrate Their Own." - David Julio Wang

I have always felt like I was behind in my life.
Everyone else was ahead of me.
When I would hear about someone else's fantastic success,
I would smile and congratulate them,
for I did feel genuine happiness for their accomplishment,
but the seed of self-consciousness and inadequacy was ever-present.

I simply do not see how a person can be truly and genuinely happy for another's success,
if they do not feel that their own life is replete with accomplishment.

I believe human beings have a need to feel that they are accomplished,
that they are growing,
that they are special.
I believe it is a need as essential as air or water.
If a person does not have enough of it,
they are suffocating and drowning with lack of specialness.

I say,
we need to become a society,
a world,
wholly,
unerringly,
100%,
dedicated to insuring that everyone,
is living a life of powerful purpose.

It starts with,
"I believe in you,
and I will do whatever I can to make your dreams come true.
Your world,
Your people,
are behind you all the way.
We will make your dreams come true."

When You Lose The Fear Of Being Hurt By Others, You Lose The Fear Of Being Yourself

"When You Lose The Fear Of Being Hurt By Others,
You Lose The Fear Of Being Yourself."
- David Julio Wang

What can be said?

When fear of,
reprisals,
reprimands,
rebukes,
and
refutations,
are gone,
who else can you be but yourself?
no mask.
no lie.

I Feel Depressed. / I'll Teach You How To Ride A Horse.

A Conversation Between Someone Who Doesn't Believe In Themselves,
And Someone Who Does Believe In Them.

"I Feel Depressed. / I'll Teach You How To Ride A Horse.
I Feel Useless. / I'll Teach You How To Build A House.
I Feel Confused. / I'll Teach You How To Play The Violin.
I Feel Weak. / And I Am Going To Show You Just How Strong You Are."
- David Julio Wang

Mr. Miyagi
Obi-Won Kenobi
Gandalf

Our fiction has many examples of the wise old man who teaches
openly, generously, and gladly,
because he has endless faith in his young charge,
and believes in them, even when they do not believe in themselves.

The reason those characters are so present in our fiction,
is because they are so needed in our reality.

Truly,
"Anybody Can Do Anything When They Are Believed In."
- David Julio Wang

Know Yourself.
Integrate Yourself With Yourself.
And become a person who can show others how valuable they are,
even when they do not see that value in themselves.

...i know i have always needed a person like that...
becoming such a person myself, is something i must do to honor the memory of the lost young person i was.

People Who Always Play It Safe, Wind Up Never Having Played At All

"People Who Always Play It Safe,
Wind Up Never Having Played At All." - David Julio Wang

I imagine many people will choose to deride and rebuff me for what they perceive as constantly pitying myself.
Perhaps that is so...though I genuinely do not believe it myself.
My regrets I scribe honestly and openly in the hope that they will teach others to not saddle themselves with the same regrets I have.

When I was a child, I very often would not engage in play with the other children, because I felt afraid of rejection and for fear of some of the more physically risky things children are wont to do.
But,
if I had taken the time to look deep inside myself,
if a wise adult had encouraged me to look deep inside myself to what I truly wanted,
I would have mustered my courage, and played, because I desperately wanted to.

I am the Omega wolf who at the bottom of the pack observes the confidence and strength of the Alphas with envy and regret,
but,
it is the Omega who cares for the young and can make them stronger by being an example of regret.

...I do not believe I am alone in feeling this way...
I do not think it is fair.
And unlike wolves,
we human beings have this feeling we call fairness,
and it is something to strive for.

Those Who Value Their Life Too Much, End Up Missing Out On It.

"Those Who Value Their Life Too Much,
End Up Missing Out On It." - David Julio Wang

Life is but a dream.
Living life in the fear of losing it, doesn't seem like living at all.

I am 29 and filled to the brim of my being with regrets.
Why?
I have been afraid of pain and being hurt my whole life,
and I watched the sands of time pass through my fingers,
with hardly a grain resting in my palm to show for its passage.

...I've reached my own breaking point though.
Being untrue to myself for nearly 30 years is too much time...
I wish it had been 20, or even 15, but I cannot go back in time,
or reverse time...yet.
That is something I happily do not do.
I do not limit myself, even to what "logic" deems impossible.

To anyone who reads this,
Know Yourself my friend,
and Be True to yourself,
even if it means you put your life on the line to do it.

You Can Pull A Person Out Of A Burning Building. You Can Pull A Person Out Of A Raging River. You Can Pull A Person Out Of Anything,

"You Can Pull A Person Out Of A Burning Building.
You Can Pull A Person Out Of A Raging River.
You Can Pull A Person Out Of Anything,
If You're Strong Enough." - David Julio Wang

This saying is a direct reaction to popular beliefs such as,
"The only person who can help you is you."
and,
"Nobody can help you unless you help yourself first."
and,
"The only person you can ever really count on is : yourself."

Human beings are a gregarious animal, a social animal,
we absolutely, fundamentally, essentially need one another for mutual survival and
, perhaps even more important, a sense of purpose in existence.

We are both individual and part of a human whole at exactly the same time.

We can pull ourselves out of difficulties,
and,
We can pull others out of difficulties.

Both are as true,
Both are as right,
as the sun rising in the sky,
and the waves moving across the sea.

It Is Not What You Know, It's Who You Know

"It Is Not What You Know, It's Who You Know.
For True Learning Does Not Come From Staring At Words On A Page,
But Rather From 'Experiencing Knowledge' Through The Guidance And Companionship Of Others.
Such Learning Is The Kind Which Integrates Itself Into The Library Of What One Knows."
- Modified From A Popular Saying, David Julio Wang

Back in school, I was jealous of the kids who had study groups.
I felt too self-conscious and unworthy to ask if I could join, but even then, I knew that they were partaking in the secret to good grades.
Sharing their knowledge.
Sharing their mental faculties.
Sharing in the companionship and support of engaging in difficult tasks with others, not alone.

Quizzing is the best way to cement knowledge into one's head.
The give and take exchange of data layers the information securely in the mind by virtue of repetition.

====

I have spent so much of my life trying to do things myself,
to not bother others,
to have the satisfaction of doing things myself,
alone and unaided,
like a true hero.

But,
a great deal of time has passed,
and I have not achieved the degree of knowledge I have wanted for myself.

I must admit,
I think the stimulation of the presence of others does not but enhance one's studying.

====

Finally,
I feel that the fact Quizzing is so effective at cementing knowledge should change school completely,
and insure that All Students succeed in memorizing vast quantities of data.

How?
Lessons could be designed which would end with a scripted series of quiz questions which students could mutually take and engage in quizzing one another, back and forth, to insure that the material was thoroughly reviewed by both parties.

I believe everyone can do anything.
There is just no reason anyone should not succeed in school.

No child left behind.
Sounds good to me. -_- ;

The Greatest Thing You Can Do For Another Human Being, Is To Be One Of The Forces Contributing To Their Growth

"The Greatest Thing You Can Do For Another Human Being,
Is To Be One Of The Forces Contributing To Their Growth.
The Worst Thing You Can Do To Another Human Being,
Is To Be One Of The Forces Causing Them To Diminish." - David Julio Wang

The nature of life is that it grows.

Growth is essential to life.
The sensation of growth is essential to life having purpose.

So many of us feel that our lives are stagnant and uninspiring,
that we are caught in the 9-5 daily grind.
This plastic world we have created does not inspire,
nor prompt real growth.

I dream of a world full of human beings who gallop across the plain of life,
instead of furtively scurrying about its valleys.

Such a world requires that we decide as a society and as a people,
to dedicate ourselves to helping make each other strong,
as strong as we can possibly make one another.

...it is a sad thing seeing a noble human being reduced to the rat race runner so many of us feel we have to become in order to survive.

...we were meant to live for so much more...

All Any Of Us Truly Want Out Of Life, Is To Live Such A Life, That Others Remember Us Fondly And With Love When We Are Dead

"All Any Of Us Truly Wants Out Of Life, Is To Live Such A Life,
That Others Remember Us Fondly And With Love When We Are Dead."
- David Julio Wang

Life is short.
What truly has meaning?
For human beings,
it is making connections with other human beings,
knowing that the relationships we create with each other,
have and had,
purpose, value, and meaning,
and,
that when we do go to meet our maker,
those people we touched,
will shed tears because we are gone,
and smile when they think of our memory.

The Regrets Of The Older, Are The Lessons Of The Younger

"The Regrets Of The Older,
Are The Lessons Of The Younger." - David Julio Wang

I know I must sound like a self-pitying loser very often...
The truth is, I am full of regrets.
But,
I do know this,
when the older among us tell the younger,
with a genuine, open and sincere heart,
the regrets of their life,
they cannot do aught,
but educate and help guide the younger.

And talking about my regrets makes my heart bleed.
But I know it is of invaluable worth to do so.

If You Want To Know The True Nature Of Human Beings, Look At A Child When An Adult Opens Their Arms In A Warm, Sincere, And Loving Embrace.

"If You Want To Know The True Nature Of Human Beings,
Look At A Child When An Adult Opens Their Arms,
In A Warm, Sincere, And Loving Embrace." - David Julio Wang

So often I hear that some people are good and some people are evil.

Some people choose the easy way, or the path of evil.
Some people choose the hard way, or the path of good.

Hitler.
Stalin.
Mussolini.
Serial Killers.
Mass Murderers.
Psychopaths.

People beyond redemption.
People who deserve to die.

To us all I say as Jesus Christ said,

"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone."

I do not believe anyone is evil, or even becomes evil.
That doesn't feel right.
That doesn't feel fair.

I think it is the case that human nature,
the warm, loving, noble nature that is truly human,
becomes perverted, distorted and corrupted by unexpressed pain.

The idea that,
some people are just bad,
some people are just rotten,
some people are born 'bad eggs',
my heart hurts to think this way,
and it is only to clear to me how misunderstood and maligned people can turn into the monsters we all regret creating.

"When A Monster Arises From The Human Ranks,
Humanity Must Ask, How It Created That Monster." - David Julio Wang

When Tears Cannot Be Shed, Blood Is Shed In Its Stead

"When Tears Cannot Be Shed,
Blood Is Shed In Its Stead." - David Julio Wang

This saying always reminds me of another of my oft-recalled ones,

"The Nature Of Pressure Is : It Must Be Released." - David Julio Wang

All our wars.
All our violence.
All our anger.
All our pain.

We human beings are mostly water.
70% so.
We are liquid.
Our pressure is a liquid-pressure.

When that pressure cannot be released through the normal way of tears,
it must find liquid-release,
in the shedding of blood.

Look at yourself.
Your own thoughts.

When your pain cannot be released in sadness and tears,
to where do your feelings and thoughts turn?

To anger and the desire for violence.

This is not bad.
This is not evil.
This is : the nature of pressure.

It Is When A Person Is Pushed To Their Limits, That Their True Nature Is Revealed

"It Is When A Person Is Pushed To Their Limits,
That Their True Nature Is Revealed." - David Julio Wang

again...i have lived a life of playing it safe.

I thought I could live a meaningful life this way.
But I can feel the sands trickling through my hour glass,
and very few of those grains sparkling with magic light.

The need for meaning has built up inside,
and is ready now to be expressed.

When You Value Your Life More Than Living, You Never Truly Live

"When You Value Your Life More Than Living,
You Never Truly Live." - David Julio Wang

...this is a hard saying for me to contemplate...
it makes my life look like dirt underfoot.

It's ok to be scared though.
I accept it as part of myself.

I believe that,
"When The Need Is Great Enough,
You Will Do What You Need To Do."

Even though it often appears like you're not doing much,
inside of you,
a need is building.

Better To Live For A Day, Than Be Dead For A Lifetime

"Better To Live For A Day,
Than Be Dead For A Lifetime." - David Julio Wang

I've always played it safe my whole life.
I never did things which scared me.

...i accept that part of myself,
but i regret having been a coward.

It's not that simple of course...
but,
now,
after having lived nearly 30 years of a life which has been mostly dull and grey,
I am ready to live a life of living.

Better To Be Hated And Be Who You Are, Than To Be Loved And Be Who You Are Not

"Better To Be Hated And Be Who You Are,
Than To Be Loved And Be Who You Are Not." - David Julio Wang

This saying helps me to stay resolved to be true to myself,
even when that means I will incur the displeasure, disdain, even detestation of others.

For, I have come to realize,
that if I do not have myself,
have respect for myself,
I only have a facade,
I do not have my truth.

To Shape Clay, One Must Apply Pressure. Whether That Pressure Is A Caress Or A Squeeze Is A Choice. That Choice Will Shape The Clay

"To Shape Clay, One Must Apply Pressure.
Whether That Pressure Is A Caress Or A Squeeze Is A Choice.
That Choice Will Shape The Clay." - David Julio Wang

I believe that everyone should be true to themselves.
But,
I believe that deep down inside everyone is truly noble, loving and kind.

So,
I believe that when people are true to their nature,
they will shape clay,
with a caress.

Everyone Has The Need To Scratch 'I Was Here' Into The Rafter Of Life, Before Their Plunge Into The Great Beyond

"Everyone Has The Need To Scratch 'I Was Here' Into The Rafter Of Life,
Before Their Plunge Into The Great Beyond." - David Julio Wang

Having contemplated just ending it for countless years,
I understand intimately the omnipresent desire to leave some mark in life that tells everyone that you existed, you mattered, you were here.

Parents Who Do Not Heal A Violent World, Condemn Their Children To Fighting In One

"Parents Who Do Not Heal A Violent World,
Condemn Their Children To Fighting In One." - David Julio Wang

Whether that fighting be as a soldier in one of the empty conflicts in some troubled country,
spawned by old, unresolved pains and unexpressed angers and unmourned sadnesses.

Or as a bewildered citizen in our cold, capitalist, machine of a world.

If parents do not learn to cry,
to express their own bottled-up pains,
they condemn their children to living a life where those strangled pressures are always threatening to get out,
and when they do,
it is not as a gentle flowing like a stream,
but an explosion.

All Human Problems Can Be Traced Back To Hurt Human Feelings

"All Human Problems Can Be Traced Back To Hurt Human Feelings."
- David Julio Wang

For when a person is hurt,
that hurt must find expression.

A Life Without Magic, Is A Life Without Life

"A Life Without Magic, Is A Life Without Life.
For The Stronger The Pulse Of Magic In One's Life,
The Stronger The Sense One Is Truly Alive." - David Julio Wang

...it feels to me that life in today's plastic and artificial world of materialism, consumerism, and capitalism, there is a distinct lack of that special feeling we can call : magic.

perhaps it has always been an elusive feeling, throughout the history of humanity...

But, when I see our world gulping down stories of Harry Potter, Spider-Man, The Lord of The Rings, and endless quantities of video games about living a life of feeling special, noble, and heroic, I know that the feeling is powerful in not only me, but in many, many of us...all of us, I say.

He Who Avoids Conflict, Avoids Life

"He Who Avoids Conflict, Avoids Life.
For All Of Life Is The Movement Of Various Pressures,
And Where There Is Pressure,
There Is The Need For The Pressure's Release.
When Separate Pressures Meet,
So Begins The Dance Of Exchanges We Call Relationship,
We Call Conflict,
We Call Life." - David Julio Wang

I have always sought to avoid conflict in my life.
I don't want to be a trouble, or a burden for anyone.
I want my fellow human beings, my human family, to love me for being useful and valuable, not some parasite.

But...I've come to realize...that if I am not true to myself,
I can never be true to others.
And then we are all living a lie,
and that is not a relationship I want to have with myself,
or anyone.

So...I accept that I will have conflict in my life.
I will trust to my feelings to be my guide to see that the difficult encounters are not in vain.

Nothing Is More Important Than How A Person Feels

"Nothing Is More Important Than How A Person Feels.
For How A Person Feels, Affects Everything A Person Does,
Affects Everything A Person's Life Is." - David Julio Wang

One of the sayings which guides my life,
which reminds me what I feel missing in my life,
and missing in the life of the world.

That one part of ourselves,
we are always at war to deny,
our feelings.

This Above All Else : To Thine Own Self Be True

"This Above All Else : To Thine Own Self Be True." - Lord Polonius (Hamlet, Shakespeare)

I remember this immortal line distinctly, not from Shakespeare's play, but as quoted by Data in the Star Trek : The Next Generation Season 1 episode Hide and Q.

As Data said in response to Riker's admonishment, "But its what you've always wanted Data. To become human."

Data: "Yes Sir, that is true but I never wanted to compound one illusion with another. It might be real to Q, perhaps even you Sir but it would never be so to me. Was it not one of the Captain's favourite authors who wrote 'this above all, to thy known self be true'. Sorry Commander, I must decline."