Tom the body piecer & 3 tips to be true to yourself

Traveling on a big city train, I recently struck up conversation with a man who offered some profound insight. I learned this man was a fashion designer turned professional body piecer. He spoke with me during an hour commute into a Toronto suburb.  Based on his life experience, here are three tips he believes would help you be more true to yourself;

1) View yourself as knowledgable in your field. People who perceive themselves as 'experts' are often the kind of people who evolve to become close-minded. To remain open to learning is to admit you never know it all.  Yet, to believe you know little or nothing is a lie to yourself. You have power to boost your esteem without being arrogant.

2) Share what you know. Every experience you have can help other people learn.  In group settings, people learn skills faster and adapt more effectively.  When people have the attitude 'knowledge is power,' and they choose to keep secrets, this does not help others.  In fact, it leads to fear, deception and less productive situations.  Many people undervalue their role as a teacher and the good they can do wherever they already are.

3) Rise above judgement.  People often decide whether they will talk to others based on appearances, assumptions about a job, socio-economic status, life choices or fear.   As you evolve to permit yourself to shatter your own illusions, you move beyond stereotypes and discover what being human is all about.  You have opportunities to learn from everyone about yourself.  Every situation or encounter is a gift.  You invite what you need.

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." -Confucius

Comments

[Mark]

Excellent advice from you as an intrepid traveler and hats off to you for recognizing this wisdom.

[Liara Covert]

Mark, people often underestimate that wisdom is available in forms all around them, including unexpected places and from people they would not ordinarily approach. As we each move through our own pre-conceived notions, we can choose to shatter our illusions. Learning is what you make it, where you choose to find it, and when you need it.

[Miruh]

Thanks for sharing these words of wisdom from a fellow commuter. When we open ourselves to sharing with others we are given so much in return.
Great advice!

[Liara Covert]

Miruh, my mind wanders to an experience I had when I spoke to an Indian commuter on a Melbourne train. He was in shck because he had commuted a year and not person before me had ever spoken to him. We are reminded that a first time exists for everything.

[Bruno LoGreco]

Isn't that the truth!

Even the experts don't know it all, he is absolutely correct. Power is knowledge and to assume you know it all because you are an expert suggests you are closing yourself off to growth - in my world these people become "stuck"

When you are a wealth of information, I would hope that you would share your knowledge - or what's the purpose for being so knowledgeable? Isn't it to share?

Fear, judgement - Ego comes to mind - I echo both your thoughts on this topic. :)

[Liara Covert]

Bruno, your views matter. People may underestimate what they can learn from the stranger beside them travelling using public transit, even in a big, anonymous city. You learn anywhere you open yourself to new possibilities.

[Bruno LoGreco]

I agree with you 100% It really is about learning and growing until the day you expire.

[Jannie Funster]

It is so true about our impressions of people as to whether or not we will strike up a conversation wtih them.

At Kelly's Kung Fu place, there are tons of men who look like they might well be "street people" or "roust-abouts" from their hair-dos and tattoos, when in fact they are black belt or multiple black-belt martial arts men, and actually mild-mannered and highly-disciplined individuals. Good men to have around!

And I am all about sharing and not keeping secrets. I used to not be so until I realized it was not the best me and indeed the truth does set us and keep us free.

[Liara Covert]

Jannie, there is something to be said for the idea that appearances can indeed be deceiving. Some people sense this is always so.

To come face-to-face with your own core delusions is how to free the mind from self-perpetuated misundersandings. To realize life experience is often dominated by illusions brings one's attention to the loss of a sense of Now. In essence, to realize you misperceive a given situation or person, suggests you misperceive your own emotions and supposed personal probems in different areas of your life. This is why raising awareness is so empowering. As you shatter delusions about your own beliefs and assumptions, you gain new levels of clarity about core identity, fulfillment and soul purpose.