We Must Become What We Wish To

In A World In Which We Are Exposed To More Information, More Options, More Philosophies, More Perspectives Than Ever Before, In Which We Must Choose The Values By Which We Will Live (rather Than Unquestioningly Follow Some Tradition For No Better Reason Than That Our Own Parents Did), We Need To Be Willing To Stand On Our Own Judgment And Trust Our Own Intelligence-to Look At The World Through Our Own Eyes-to Chart Our Course And Think Through How To Achieve The Future We Want, To Commit Ourselves To Continuous Questioning And Learning-to Be, In A Word, Self-responsible.

The Practice Of Assertiveness: Being Authentic In Our Dealings With Others; Treating Our Values And Persons With Decent Respect In Social Contexts; Refusing To Fake The Reality Of Who We Are Or What We Esteem In Order To Avoid Disapproval; The Willingness To Stand Up For Ourselves And Our Ideas In Appropriate Ways In Appropriate Contexts.

It Is Easy Enough To Say, Be True To Your Values. But What If Your Values Are Irrational? Or What If The Virtues You Have Committed Yourself To Are So Much Against Human Nature That They Cannot Be Practiced Consistently? Be Careful Of What You Accept As Your Code Of Morality. Think Carefully About Whether Its Tenets Serve Your Life And Well Being. Exercise Critical Judgment. Realize How Much Is At Stake-your Life, Your Happiness, Your Self-esteem.

The Highest Compliment One Can Be Paid By Another Human Being Is To Be Told: 'because Of What You Are, You Are Essential To My Happiness.'

The Feeling That "i Am Enough" Does Not Mean That I Have Nothing To Learn, Nothing Further To Achieve, And Nowhere To Grow To. It Means That I Accept Myself, That I Am Not On Trial In My Own Eyes, That I Value And Respect Myself. This Is Not An Act Of Indulgence But Of Courage.