November 18Self-Helping
We come to them who weep foolishly, and sit down and cry for company, instead of imparting to them truth and health in rough electric shocks, putting them once more in communication with their own reason. The secret of fortune is joy in our hands. Welcome evermore to gods and people is the self-helping individual. For them all doors are flung wide; all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire.
Ralph Waldo Emerson—Self-Reliance (1841)
There are a few ways you could go with today's reading—for example, when asked your opinion, speak the truth. (The whole rough electric shock thing might be excessive, though.)
Another viable interpretation is to consider that the “joy in our hands” is the fact that there will never be another person exactly like you. That we all become that “self-helping individual” when we realize our only job is to trust that the universe is here to help us step into our greatness all on our own.
We may want and, at times, need help keeping on track, but we can never let someone else to formulate our path. (This includes gurus and mentors.)
Challenge Question
- Where will your life be in a year from now if you continue doing what you're doing today?
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access