The Say Something Poster Project

As a father of two young children (Abigail, 10 and Arlo, 3), I have to admit that I am fairly obsessed with the values, morals and life lessons I hope to bestow upon them as they grow into young people and adults. It is my hope that through all the arguments and rebellion that I know is in store for me and my wife, we can instill in them a sense of confidence and self worth that will ensure their success as humans, life partners, friends, and contributors to their respective communities.

As I am sitting here pondering how to relate my love and nurturing feelings for my kids and somehow turn that outward to others, I’m drawn to two guiding principles which I first encountered sometime during high school. They have no doubt matured in their resonance with me as I have gotten older. The first is the ancient maxim, “know thyself”, which has been used in various interpretations by Socrates, Thomas Hobbes, Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson and others. Its nuanced interpretations have, throughout my years, provided both wild inspiration and temperance as I’ve explored a variety of creative expressions and professional endeavors. At the very least, the journey towards a deeper understanding of self has led me to abandon pursuits that have been detrimental or fruitless. And at the very most, it has propelled me to seek opportunities for personal and professional growth by taking measured risks and pushing myself to move past fear and self-doubt toward a place I almost always find surprising and deeply rewarding. Knowledge of self takes on many forms, but it is absolutely critical to living a life beyond your expectations.

The second guiding principle is lifted straight out of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and it is “to thine own self be true”. Whether you’re a designer or a ditch digger, a doctor or a dump truck driver, you have an obligation to the world to be the best you can be. If you aren’t, you need to think long and hard about why that might be. We often make decisions or obligations based on fear or doubt, or just plain laziness. My hope for you is that you pursue everything in your life in the spirit of love, and you cannot help but be true to your purpose.

This may all sound somewhat selfish and self-centered, but I assure you it’s not. In order to truly give your best personal and professional gifts to the world around you, you must know who you are, what you can be, what you can achieve, and never waver from your commitment to growing, learning and sharing.

Although I think my kids are a little young yet for Socrates and Shakespeare, I’m pretty sure that by allowing them to explore their world in a creative and curious manner without the rigor and burden of expectations of mastery or exclusivity of focus will allow them to really learn who they are and how they’re going to excel in life. I have no doubt they will turn out to be exceptional humans.