Knowing Yourself Is The Beginning of All Wisdom
Missed Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, or Part 6?
I would not be where I am today had it not been for the wonderful women in my life. My mom and sisters in particular have been such a great support system for me over the past 3 years as I went through many highs and many lows.
Just prior to my graduation, my mom sent me one of the most touching and memorable gifts that I have ever received.
She sent me a time capsule filled with memories and articles from my childhood. I was just shocked when I opened my gift to see a beautiful wooden, engraved memory box.
It reads: ‘Angela, Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.’
When I opened it up I found this poem:
She included her own high school graduation picture:
Isn’t she beautiful? :D
Inside the box are tons of pictures from when I was a child, all complete with captions of the date and who I was with. We lived in Georgia and Florida when I was ages 4-8.
We were so 80’s! This was my all time favourite outfit- a pink and black polka dot ensemble:
I’m sure I was wearing a snap bracelet to go along with my high top sneakers. ;)
Including a drawing of me when I was just 3-4 years old done by a local artist:
And Eric and I at our high school prom in 2000:
Everyone joked that we were getting married and not going to prom!
Well, 8 years later we did. ;)
There are tons of school assignments I did , including one from 1990 (man I feel old!!!) where I wrote 5 special things about myself:
They included:
- Everyone is special and different
- I am healthy when I get good sleep
- Parents and a dog that love me
- My sister who plays with me
I rocked long division (bahahah!)
But the best part of this entire capsule were the words that my mom wrote in it.
She wrote:
I know….just amazing!
I teared up when I brought it all out last night to read over again.
When I first read it, I didn’t really know how to apply it to my current situation. I felt stuck in a job where I was unhappy and I felt like I was destined to do work that I didn’t really enjoy. Perhaps, this letter planted the seed for me though.
Reading it over last night, everything sort of clicked for me.
Over the past 8 months, I have learned these lessons. I have learned that money doesn’t bring happiness and it sure as hell won’t give you self-esteem or character. I have learned that being true to myself is possibly one of the most beneficial things that I could ever achieve. I have learned that if you do something you love and are passionate about, the money will eventually follow.
I used to be this guarded person who was afraid to open up. I was shown time and time again that being a sensitive person, especially in the workplace, was strongly discouraged. I was to be a brick wall, tough, and hard. But that isn’t me and I felt a huge internal conflict because of this.
Once I took my walls down and let myself be vulnerable, I felt free. I decided to stop hiding who I was and instead of working against myself, I worked with myself and my strengths and abilities.
I now believe that one of the keys to pursuing your dreams is to let go of all those walls. Stop hiding who you are because society is telling you to be someone who you are not. Each and every one of us has some unique ability to share with others. A way that we can contribute and feel that our purpose for life is fulfilled.
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Do you know yourself?
Do you have any influential women in your own lives who have given you the strength to dream big?
Ahhh you put tears in my eyes! I was super 80s as well, and probably would have killed to have your outfit on in the picture, along with a hot pink snap bracelet. Your mom is gorgeous..you can definitely see where your inside AND outside beauty comes from!
Oh, I miss my Mommy … {she’s in Canada}. What a beautiful time capsule of memories. I loved this post. I’m having that same internal struggle, between what makes me happiest and what everyone expects of me.
Thanks, Angela. :)
I miss my family too!
That is such a beautiful quote and such a thoughtful grad present!!
Your mom is so beautiful! And I love what she wrote. :)
To answer your questions…
I think I’m starting to know myself, yes.
And for me, the most influential PERSON is definitely my mom. She encourages me, gives me strength and keeps me grounded at the same time. Aw, now I miss my mom ahah
You’re a lucky girl to have such a wise Mother! I love this part “Once I took my walls down and let myself be vulnerable, I felt free. I decided to stop hiding who I was and instead of working against myself, I worked with myself and my strengths and abilities.” I think I need to make this a reality in my own life.
Thanks for writing!
I have found that I also try to be hard and tough, but inside, not feeling truly known can be soul-killing. It is hard to be vulnerable and be who you really are, if you don’t see the strengths you possess. I am working on those walls and hopefully in that process, giving myself enough grace to try things without the world coming to an end if I fail! That was a thoughtful gift from your mom!
Wow, your mom is amazing. That is fantastic and made some tears roll down!
Wow! Your mom sounds like an amazing woman. You are very lucky! My mom and my sister are also very important and inspiring women in my life. My mother is so inspiring. She is so brave..after beating breast cancer she bought a house by herself, travels, and has started running and biking in small 5k’s. She is not afraid of anything and always reminds me that laughter is the best medicine!! Her favorite quote she tells me ALL the time is, “If you can dream it you can do it!”
Aww, this made me miss my mum too! She is another one of those superhero mums, and my keepsakes includes dozens of cards and letters from her that have helped me through hard times.
Honestly, there’s something about mums though, isn’t there?
I love the time capsule idea. Your mom put a lot of thought and love into that gift, which makes it even more special. Thanks for sharing her inspirational words :)
Hi Angela!
Thank you so much for this post. As you may remember, I posted an article I wrote about Kath Younger earlier this week. My blog is about my journey to quit my desk job and pursue something that fulfills me, so I interviewed Kath because she successfully did the same thing.
Well, today (!) is actually MY last day at my desk job. After almost a year of planning for this day, it’s finally here. And to be frank, I’m terrified! I’m excited, eager, grateful – all that good stuff. But I’m also just a ball of nerves. I’m worried I’ll miss my coworkers, miss my routine, miss being “busy.” And to be honest, I’m stunned that I feel this way on this particular morning. This is a job that hasn’t fulfilled me for years. So I assumed I’d be bursting with joy today, not nerves. But here we are. :)
That’s why I had to comment – thank you for this post. It’s exactly in line with so much of what I’ve been preaching to myself and on my blog in the months I’ve spent preparing to leave my job. And now that the day is finally here, I have to remind myself that I still believe these things, that following your passion is what matters, that being true to yourself is what makes you who you are. Your post reminded me that quitting my job WAS the right choice, even if I feel nervous this morning. And I’m so grateful to have that reinforced today by coming to your blog.
Apologies for the long comment, but I had to share that with you. Thanks again.
Best,
Jen
Congratulations Jen! Your last day at the desk job! Woohoo! You are going to be great at whatever you do next! I admire your courage to have taken this step!!
i love that moms save things like that! my mom saved all my elementary school journals, and it’s so great to be able to look at them…
yay for good mommies!
This series of posts may be my favorite ever! Your post really speaks to me, because I am almost done with my bachelor’s degree, but am figuring out that I don’t necessarily want to work in the field I’ve been studying for.
<—- crying
What a beautiful, timely, thoughtful and special gift. I love how it all "clicked" for you.
Beautiful “time capsule” – I’m constantly trying to understanding myself more, and your post has inspired me to keep on my journey.
How wonderful I really cannot wait to hear more about your journey, part 8 soon? My daughter is about to transition to a new exciting career and I feel like you if you believe in something and do it well the money will follow. I believe she will be successful as she has such a passion for what she is about to do.
Love that time capsule, gifts that have so much thought are so fun! I was at a development day recently and the speaker asked us to say thank you to our “go-to” people. It felt good to call a few friends and say Thank you :)
I am really enjoying these posts. The most inspirational woman in my life is my mom. I wouldn’t be where I am without her!
what an amazing gift..
having people in your life who love you no matter what is truly precious.
Beautifully written Angela.. What an amazing gift!! I think mom’s were put on this earth to be the most amazing people in the world!! I can not wait to be one myself :=)