To thine own self be true.

 In Shakespeares play Hamlet ,a father advised his son before he set out on his journey in life

"To thine own self,be true

  And it will follow as  night to day

   Thou canst not then be false to any Man"

So i was watching a clip TED xChaoyang by the speaker Annie Yi and how she had a life changing moment when she decided despite the multiple roles she played as a successful actress,mother,daughter,at the end of it all it is important to be true to yourself.

 She recalled how in a moment of despair facing a failed marriage,she wanted to end it all by popping the sleeping pills,an inner voice pulled her back.

Have you looked for a solution?What do you want in life?

She recalled her school teacber asking her"what quality would you most like to have?"

She thought its to learn a hobby or acquire a new skill

But she was wrong.The teacher said Just be you not just do it"

Its the quality of kindness,loyalty,perseverance etc.

So in her soul searching,she made an impulsive decision,she left her job of hosting a tv program,and went to India to find herself.In her photos ,she showed how she left Shenyang in winter with -30celsius,stopped in Shanghai at 1 degree celsius,stopover in Singapore at 25 degree celsius and landed at indian airport at mid 30 degree celsius.Carrying her thick overcoat,she looked around at people in thin clothing and some bare chested men .That was her wake up call.She left her overcoat at the airport.Its a euphemism to let go of her emotional baggage.she recalled " just be,not just do."

In her spiritual retreat,her guru asked her to phone her mom to ask Did you want me to come into this world?"Her mom had a tough life as a single mom bringing up 7 daughters.Her dad was conservative and abandoned the family when he found out the last child was not a son.The mark of self worth of a Chinese woman was her ability to bear a son to carry on the family lineage"Annies mom felt a failed person for not giving birth to a male.At a young age Annie determined to work hard to prove to her father a daughter can be just as good and successful as a son."

 A childhood imprint can have a huge impact on ones future impetus and drive in life.

So its uplifting to watch TED talks as they offer endless positivity and possibilities.

https://youtu.be/KgZRGdoYeIE