To Know Ourselves

We can spend our entire life
Trying to get to know ourselves,
Meditate for years on end
Carefully and meticulously analyzing
Every aspect of our being,
Live the life of the aesthetic monk
Deep in contemplation,
But there is much
About ourselves that will
Always remain a mystery
As long as we pursue
Our quest alone.
Man by himself on an island
Or isolated on a mountain top
Can’t possibly know himself.
It takes honest feedback from others
To give us a sense
Of how we occur to the world,
But in a world where conversation
Is cloaked in pleasantries,
And seldom if ever
Straight and to the point,
Such honesty is a rarity.
We need to make it safe
For others to speak their truth
Without fear of us getting hooked
By anything they say.
We need to listen
For the gold
In what they reveal
Without trying to explain
Or defend ourselves.
Others can see
Our strengths and weaknesses
Far better than we can.
We need to encourage
Others to speak
And let us know
What they see and think
So we can know
How we come across.
Value can be gained
From almost every interview.
Each person we meet
Is a potential resource
To help us
Get to know ourselves.