"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment".
Today we are living in a world which is selfie grown, is it true or not? In our surrounding we will find that one or other is busy in taking selfies in different gestures and postures. If we ask them what it gives you, and then they will say "that how am I looking today with my new shirt, new jeans, hair styles or shoes, watch, goggles and many other". Have you ever asked what does 'SELFIE' really mean? So here is the answer, it means "a look at your own self". These simple words have deep meaning if we try to understand. Today we are behaving in an extremely opposite manner with the real meaning of selfie. We are busy taking selfies of our physical look, with backgrounds etc.; this is not at all a selfie in a true manner, because we never tried to look at our own self. The true selfies are the selfie with your brain, with your heart, with your energy and with the qualities hidden in you. Without entering into our self whatever selfies we are taking then these are the false selfies, and will be of no use in long run, also the happiness you will get out of this will be limited and for short term.
Whenever one looks at his photo with their friends, one expects in his mind that he should receive good comments from his friends for physical appearance, cloths worn etc. Friends, we all very well know Late Shri Abdul Kalam, whenever you see at his photo or even when you remember him, your mind will automatically start to say that 'a great person', 'a genuine person', 'a person of moral and ethical values' and many more adjectives we'll use to describe him. He was not the one with a fair complex, also having no good hair styles, no fashionable clothes etc. Then also why we describe him so, because, Kalam's selfies were true selfies. He took selfie with his brain 'to know what best out of his brain he can give to the society', selfie with his heart "to know whether he is pure and perfect within his heart to be accepted by the heart of all", and selfie with his energy "to know what hidden potential is there within him, and how far he can reach to do good for the society". His selfies were so strong that his physical appearance or look has never been hurdle on his way to be a successful person.
Carl Jung commented "Who looks outside, dreams, but who looks inside, awakens". Today we are living in the century which we can describe as the time of "the selfies for looks, physical expressions, and no selfies for introspection of values and principles within us". Front camera of our cell phones will help you know how you physically look. But the nature has blessed us with inbuilt camera within everyone i.e. the power of self introspection, to get in touch with and identify our true self or to know who you really are and that selfie will be helpful to achieve what you really want to be. We spend hours standing in front of mirror and busy with our physical appearance, which has hardly to do anything with our success. The only thing which is of more important for our success is our inner self. But, we never find time to enter into our self and to view how we are from within.
Mathew Arnold quotes that "Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery". Once we start to take true selfies, then we definitely can raise ourselves from the miseries, tensions, frustrations, depression etc. Because, 90 percent of time we are in problem by thinking of what others will have thought of me. Let others do their job, "why to help them outsource their job toy our minds of what they think of you". Instead of wasting your time thinking what others will think or would have thought, you invest your time looking at your own work, vision, mind, potential, and exploring vital energy hidden within you. This will help you in transforming you and will take you on the path of success, and said to have taken true selfies.
Friends selfies of our outer decoration i.e. appearance, looks etc. will help us bring likes over the Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, but will be of no help to get likes from our family members, relatives, friends and community within which we live, unless we have true selfies i.e. with our heart, brain, and energy. We post selfies of our physical appearance and wait for hours to see how many liked it. No one is going to ask you of how many selfies you have taken or how many likes you got over social media. Rather, you shall spent time introspecting the moral and ethical values, behavior with others, principles, noble qualities etc. imbibed within you. And ask on your own whether you liked the qualities you possess, because, only one person on this whole earth can better understand you and that is you yourself. Here I will mention a quote from HW Shaw, "It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenience one too". So, please be true to know your own self, start exploring your true identity and extraordinary good qualities that is hidden within.
Here I want raise you a question please be true. Why we like our friends or make friends? Because they possess some extraordinarily good qualities hidden within them that we like, it could be anything like helpful nature, openness, politeness, sincerity, discipline etc. without even knowing that we are looking at the inner self of the person, we looked or tried look the inner self of the person before making any one our true friend. Is it true or not? If we act in this manner, others will also do the same before having any kind of true relations with us. Also, we see that whenever we are dressed up and ready to go to any function, we look into mirror many times to notice how I am looking before someone else could notice. Then why we are so lenient or careless to look at our inner self and try to correct it before it is being observed and noticed by others.
Whenever someone introduces you to others, what they introduce is not your appearance or look, but the extraordinary qualities that makes you worth introducing to others. I don't argue that you don't take selfies for your appearance or looks, but have some time to take selfies with your brain, with your heart and with your energies which will actually derive value for you to others.
Tailors or barbers can never make anyone great or successful but the man is great by the noble qualities and virtues in his life. If you are good looking and physical appearance is also good, but you are wicked from inside, your natural beauty will never last for long. Because thing that matters the most is what you are from inside. Your physical appearance helps anyone to know whether you are a child or young or adult or old, that's it nothing more than that. But your inner self helps anyone to know who you really are, whether you are a responsible person, honest person, or person with positive attitude, with helpful nature, with sharp intellect etc. and vice versa.
In albums you are what you physically appears or looks, but in the minds and hearts of people you are not an image, but you lies in the form of qualities you possess either good or bad i.e. character, attitude, moral values, ethical values, helpful nature and hundreds of other qualities that you have.
So friends here I will quote that,
"Not only do make up for your physical appearance, but also find time to make up your inner self. Not only wear good clothes, but have time to wear good thoughts and noble living. Not only go market to shop for your physical body, but find time to visit into your own self to shop for potentials hidden within you" and became who you really are.
CAclubindia
