“Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.”—Andre Gide
I am feeling frustrated and uninspired going into the start of my Fall term teaching. I am feeling a burden of division and control that I have not experienced before. This is the first term back after four terms of remote teaching and having no face-to-face interaction with my students and colleagues.
I am not ordinarily an anxious person, but I am experiencing periods of anxiety—like the other shoe is going to suddenly drop. I am feeling the anxiety of losing what I do well. Nevertheless, I trust in my heart and my experience (and in my growing base of knowledge). I trust in my Purpose.
I know that there is no cost to being “faithful to that which exists within yourself.” There is only reward. Anything that appears to be a cost—a penalty—is only momentary. The reward of being faithful to oneself is eternal.
To be “faithful to that which exists within yourself” is not to be dogmatic or to cause division. It is not to resist growth and change. It is to act with integrity and conviction. It is to understand one’s Purpose (even when said Purpose is not entirely clear).
To be “faithful to that which exists within yourself” is not to be self-centered. Indeed, it is quite the opposite. It is to be other-centered.
To be “faithful to that which exists within yourself” is to allow space for the soul to speak. It is to listen when it speaks.
I know my frustration will wane the moment I address my first class of students. After all, they are why I do what I do. They are my inspiration to do what I do the best I can—and to strive to do it better. Outside controls may affect how I do can or can’t do what I do, but what exists within me is what allows be the control over how I respond.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!