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you. Welcome

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to the Inspirational Living Podcast.

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Today's reading was edited and adapted

1:38

from As Others See

1:40

Us by John Thomas Huddle,

1:43

published in 1901. Today,

1:51

I would like to introduce you

1:53

to a distinguished stranger, and

1:56

that stranger is yourself. Knowledge

1:59

as well as wisdom. charity should begin

2:01

at home, and it's

2:03

supremely important that

2:05

we should occasionally step within

2:08

and renew our acquaintance with

2:11

ourselves. Above all

2:13

others, we ought to know

2:15

the one with whom we eat, work,

2:17

and study, in

2:19

whose companionship we are continually,

2:23

for we have more to do with

2:25

that person than with anybody else.

2:28

We are responsible for their words

2:30

and actions. They are

2:32

the one person on earth committed

2:34

especially to our care, and

2:36

surely we ought to know them. But

2:39

the truth of the matter is we do not.

2:42

We and ourselves, as a general thing,

2:45

are scarcely speaking acquaintances.

2:49

We have been going on about together for

2:51

a number of years, and

2:53

yet ourself is an utter stranger to

2:55

most of us now. According

2:58

to our idea, he or

3:00

she is the best person in the world.

3:03

No one occupies so high a

3:05

position in our estimation. While

3:08

we criticize and condemn our neighbors,

3:11

and search our friends' eyes for moats,

3:14

we pat ourselves lovingly on

3:16

the backs, and thank

3:18

the Lord we are not like other people.

3:22

Then at other times, we regard

3:24

certain people as strong and able

3:26

to do great things, but

3:29

we distrust our own ability, shrink

3:31

from opportunity, and weakly

3:34

say, there is no use

3:36

to try. I can't. Now

3:40

the object of interior study

3:42

is to give us a peep into the

3:45

sanctum of self, and

3:47

make us acquainted with both our

3:49

weaknesses and our powers. Here

3:52

we come face to face with

3:54

the invisible forces and realities of

3:56

life. Here we find the

3:58

causes of our own. unhappiness and

4:01

failure, and such

4:03

knowledge leads us speedily to seek

4:05

the proper remedies. The

4:08

more we know about ourselves, the

4:10

more we know about others, and

4:13

the better able we are to share their

4:15

feelings and interpret their

4:17

ways and works. There

4:19

is no subject so interesting

4:22

and profitable as self. One

4:25

of the wise among the ancient said,

4:27

Know thyself, and

4:29

the Bible from the beginning to end emphasizes

4:32

strongly the value of

4:35

self-examination. One

4:37

of the advantages of self-knowledge is

4:40

that it enables us to detect

4:42

and correct our faults. Each

4:44

one of us wants to make as

4:46

much out of ourselves as possible. Noble

4:50

soul is not satisfied simply

4:52

to eat, drink, and sleep.

4:55

They want to grow. It

4:57

is not gold altogether that they

4:59

are seeking, but character,

5:02

for this is the only possession they

5:05

can take with themselves to the

5:07

land beyond. We

5:09

are not here simply for the collection

5:11

of facts and the accumulation

5:13

of wealth. These

5:16

are only means for the development of

5:18

our different powers. The

5:20

great end to be attained is

5:22

the stature of the perfect woman

5:24

or man. Everything

5:27

else is subordinate and should

5:29

contribute to this one object,

5:32

but in order that it may be attained,

5:35

we must be acquainted with our

5:38

weaknesses. To make

5:40

the temple of character a beautiful

5:42

and fit dwelling for the divine

5:44

spirit, we must watch

5:46

closely for its faults and

5:49

strive strenuously to correct them.

5:52

For after all, it is the

5:54

little things in life and not the

5:56

great things that count. It

5:59

is the little they are. really touches

6:01

a word indeed, and not the great

6:03

events which shape the character

6:06

and make us what we are. And

6:09

on the other hand, it is the

6:11

little faults and not the great ones

6:13

that limit our usefulness and

6:16

more the beauty of our lives. And

6:19

the reason is their littleness. Their

6:22

very insignificance protects them.

6:25

We easily detect the presence of

6:27

the crow in the cornfield, but

6:30

not the worm. We

6:33

discover the mouse in the wardrobe

6:35

very quickly, but not the maw.

6:38

So with our faults, we

6:41

may be sincere in what we do, exemplary

6:44

in conduct and upright in

6:46

heart, and yet

6:48

some little idiosyncrasies or

6:51

peculiarities which we have overlooked,

6:54

are our usefulness. There

6:57

are thousands of people, true as steel

6:59

and good as gold, who

7:01

have few friends and little influence because

7:04

of these very things. Not

7:07

knowing themselves, blind to their

7:10

failings, they wonder why they

7:12

are not more appreciated. It

7:14

is not because of any flagrant

7:17

wrongs or any great moral weaknesses,

7:20

but simply because of some little

7:22

failings unknown to them have crept

7:24

into their manner in speech, hence

7:27

the importance of knowing ourselves.

7:31

We glance into the mirror ten times

7:33

a day at least to check our

7:35

face and dress, but when

7:37

a mirror is not a hand, many

7:40

an imperfection goes uncorrected.

7:43

Not that we wish it so, but

7:45

because we are ignorant of it. Now

7:48

self-knowledge is a mirror for

7:51

the inside. It

7:53

reveals the imperfections, not

7:55

of the dress, but of the

7:57

individual. It's polished.

8:00

surface gives a reflection of ourselves

8:02

as others see us. And

8:05

when we thus stand off a few feet, and

8:07

look at our counterpart, we are

8:10

startled at the faulty person before

8:12

us. Then like the

8:14

prodigal child, we come to

8:16

ourselves. The power of

8:19

introspection has opened our eyes and

8:21

we see. And see,

8:24

we arise and bid farewell to

8:26

our faults and weaknesses. We

8:29

take the upward path of

8:31

reformation. A second

8:33

advantage of self-knowledge is

8:35

that it acquaints us with our powers.

8:38

To a great extent, we are ignorant of

8:40

our ability. Those who do

8:43

great things are not the only ones who

8:45

can do them. Many

8:47

others under the same circumstances,

8:50

and stimulated by the same

8:52

influences, would be as strong

8:54

and do as much. There

8:57

is a great deal of latent genius

8:59

slumbering in the breast of many. If

9:02

only the proper stimuli were brought to

9:04

bear, their greatness would

9:06

be awakened. As

9:08

a general rule, we are

9:11

as ignorant of our power as a

9:13

horse tied to a postage of its

9:15

strength. Under the influence

9:17

of passion or fear, the

9:19

horse snaps the rein like a thread. In

9:22

its newly awakened strength, it

9:24

breaks the trapping of man as

9:26

easily as Samson did the chords

9:28

of the Philistines. So

9:31

it is with us. Stirred

9:33

by some great emergency, stimulated

9:35

by some powerful emotion, we

9:38

can perform feats of strength and

9:40

daring that in sober moments seem

9:43

almost impossible. Accident

9:46

and emergency give us glimpses now and

9:48

then of what we can do. But

9:51

when the emotion wears away, we

9:54

distrust ourselves and forget

9:57

the mighty force that sleeps within.

10:00

When working under pressure, we

10:02

accomplish wonderful things in a very

10:05

short time. But when

10:07

necessity lays aside the spur, we

10:10

lag behind, waste

10:12

opportunities, and become oblivious to

10:14

our strength. Now,

10:18

what these trying situations revealing

10:20

call forth, we

10:22

can discover by the

10:24

microscope of self-examination, and

10:27

so at all times be calmly conscious

10:29

of the mighty power that we possess.

10:32

Self-knowledge will beget

10:34

self-reliance, and we will

10:36

go forth into the battle of life with

10:39

steady step and undaunted heart.

10:42

Knowing what we can do, we'll

10:45

banish all distrust and fear, make

10:48

us laugh at discouragements and

10:50

rejoice. Opposition will

10:53

be our pleasure, difficulties

10:55

will be our playthings,

10:58

and we will never be so happy

11:00

as when some Goliath bars our way.

11:04

Consciousness of personal power

11:06

transfigures the face, gives

11:08

dignity to the manner, and

11:11

makes a hero even out of a clown.

11:14

Remember that those who win are

11:16

not always the only ones who can.

11:19

In many cases, those who fail,

11:22

if they only knew it, are

11:24

just as strong. The

11:27

faint-hearted have oftentimes as much

11:29

power as the fearless, the

11:31

timid wallflower as much ability

11:33

to shine as the popular

11:36

beauty, the quiet scholar

11:38

ten times more wisdom than

11:40

the talking pedant, and

11:42

yet the former are not heard, while

11:45

the latter are leaders. The

11:47

difference is simply this, the

11:50

first are ignorant of and doubt

11:52

their ability, while the second know

11:55

and trust themselves. The

11:57

person who thoroughly understands themselves

12:00

as the key to human nature. If

12:03

you wish to interpret the actions

12:05

and understand others, then

12:08

look within and know thyself. Study

12:11

that particular piece of humanity

12:13

committed especially to your care.

12:17

This will give you an insight

12:19

into universal humanity, and

12:21

such knowledge is by no means to

12:23

be lightly esteemed. To

12:26

be acquainted with human nature is

12:28

indeed a very essential and

12:30

important part of our education.

12:33

For our usefulness and success in life,

12:36

they'll depend largely upon it. The

12:39

business person could accomplish very little if

12:41

they didn't know people and how to

12:44

deal with them. The

12:46

success of the professional is

12:48

due often more to their tact

12:50

and knowledge of human nature than

12:52

to their wonderful skill. The

12:55

failures of parents and teachers are

12:58

due in most instances to their

13:01

ignorance of child nature. If

13:03

we would be peacemakers, we

13:06

must know just how to deal

13:09

gently and delicately with injured feelings.

13:12

We would be comforters. We

13:14

must understand the best, most

13:17

tactful way to bind up

13:19

the brokenhearted and heal the

13:21

wounded in spirit. By

13:24

knowing ourselves, we come

13:26

to know what is in others and

13:28

are able to sympathize with them and

13:31

thus lift them and us to a

13:33

higher plane of living. As

13:46

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