Know Who You Are-It Matters

Embrace the day your eyes open.

Miss Jackson, my fifth-grade school teacher, demanded, “Richard, give those glasses you’re wearing back to Troy right now!” I muttered, “No, they are my glasses,” Wagging her finger at me, “No, they’re not yours, now stop the funny stuff and give them back, we’re ready to start our morning class.” I held my glasses as she grabbed my arm, taking me out of the classroom into the hallway. That’s the day I grew up. I convincingly explained the glasses I was wearing were mine.

The night before Miss Jackson’s accusation, my dad noticed I had trouble reading. He put me in the car and drove to a Hardware store, yes a Hardware store. We walked past the nail bins, bolts and nut boxes to the back of the store. The store owner opened a door with an eye reading chart. He pulled out a box marked, ‘Boys Glasses’. He kept putting different glasses on me until I could read the letters he deemed important. Dad paid for the glasses. I had my first pair of glasses. Miss Jackson was wrong. She apologized. Miss Jackson noticed me and I had some explaining for her to understand, I now wore glasses.

Let’s go deeper here as to why it matters to know yourself.

Are you able to stand before people and unashamedly admit your past? Or are you trying to be somebody that you are not?

This quote by Oscar Wilde makes living life easy by just being yourself.

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

A man in the Bible had to explain himself as I did to Miss Jackson. One day he was blind, the next day he could see. And just like Miss Jackson, some people were confused.

An extortionary story is told in the Bible’s book of John, chapter nine of a man born blind but dares to be true to himself. The once blind beggar experienced a life-changing opportunity.

In this story, Jesus heals this man blind from birth. Not many people recognized the blind beggar as they walked past him. Because of Jesus’ touch, he receives his sight. And everything changed for him.

The unnamed once blind man stood on the street corner in amazement. The trees, flowers, and all the people walking past him, he saw them. He rubs his eyes, gleefully clapped his hands and did a little dance. He could SEE!

The people watching him were confused, who was this man?

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he. John 9:8,9

The once blind beggar could deny his past, or he could embrace his history.

He embraced his history with three short words, ‘I am he.’ His declaration brought an abrupt halt as to his identity. Owning up to his past brought more questions needing answers by him.

The once blind beggar was up to the challenge.

…one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. John 9:25 (ASV)

Don’t you just like the moral strength of this man? He was a poor beggar but had the guts to say who he was and embraced his history. ‘I am he,’ ‘I once was blind, but now I see.’ He unashamedly said these words in the presence of the high officials of his city.

I have a question for you.

Do you wither when accused of your personhood? You have a decision to make. The easy path is to deny, cover-up, or erase your history, and then you live a lie.

Your history is a textbook on what works and what does not work for your satisfaction in life.

I’m sure this man did not relish his previous life as a blind beggar, but he did not deny it either. He embraced the day his eyes opened. Yes, welcome each morning.

Don’t deny the rubble stored in your past, and do not let it trouble you either — the message of the formerly blind beggar is powerful.

Today, see this as the threshold leading to an abundant and fulfilled life.

The past is behind you; only the present day is yours to live. Your history, at best, is only a teacher, not a prophet!

When investing money in stocks and bonds, often, a disclaimer is noted in the agreement. It goes something like this:

“Past performance is not a guarantee of future profits.’

Everyone has a past, and it’s only life experience, not a guarantee as to what you can achieve.

The one idea I sincerely desire to get across to you is, your past does not determine your future.

You have a choice to make, do not let your past haunt and scar your decision-making abilities today.

Explaining to Miss Jackson, I now wore glasses was no big deal. I still wear glasses.

The blind beggar’s story reveals he had the integrity to admit his past and be who he was when questioned by the curious on-lookers. Yes, he got noticed, and you will too, when you live a life of integrity.

“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love, and loyalty”. — Zig Ziglar

Integrity says, you know who you were and who you are now. Everyone else knows you are what you say and do, which is living free from the past.

Today’s the day to stop running from your past.

Yes, make amends where you can, but don’t let your history deter you from having a great future.

Be yourself. Remember, everyone else is already taken.

You can do this. It’s your choice.

Thanks for reading,

Richard

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