What Would I Say To My Younger Self?

Post No. 8 Read Time: 5 minutes.

What I Would Say To My Younger Self?

The wisdom of predecessors and past ages is like an elder guiding their younger self. Tocqueville would advise, “Remember that life is neither pain nor pleasure; it is serious business, to be entered upon with courage and in a spirit of self-sacrifice.” Santayana would offer, “There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.” James M. Barrie would remind us, “Life is a long lesson in humility.”

Regarding the significance of work, Johnson would suggest, “He that embarks in the voyage of life will always wish to advance rather by the impulse of the wind than the strokes of the oar; and many founder in their passage, while they lie waiting for the gale.” Colton would reflect on the fleeting nature of enjoyment: “How small a portion of our life it is that we really enjoy! In youth, we are looking forward to things that are to come; in old age, we are looking backward to things that have passed; in manhood, although we appear occupied with the present, even that is often absorbed in vague determination to be vastly happy on some future day when we have time.”

Albert Barnes would advise his younger self, “Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come.” Bulwer would add, “There are two lives to each of us, the life of our actions, and the life of our minds and hearts. History reveals men’s deeds and their outward characters, but not themselves. There is a secret self that has its own life, unpenetrated and unguessed.”

Goethe might provide a metaphor, “Life is a quarry, out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character.” Phillips Brooks would encourage us to aspire to greatness: “Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God’s Paradise.”

To my younger self I would say: God is the source of order and justice. All true law comes from him.

Society is held together by order. The inner order of the soul and the outer order of society are intimately linked together. The path we follow; the pattern by which we live with purpose and meaning would be insufferable without the harmony of an ordered existence. It is not possible for us to live in peace with one another, unless we recognize some principle of order.

Turn to the beliefs of yesteryear for guidance, there is not a better moral system or political pattern than the ones we have inherited. Given to Moses and repeated by Jesus: our charge is to love God and our fellowman. When we do that, everything else will fall into place; it will fit together and make sense.

Recognizing that life encompasses highs and lows, adversities and triumphs, it is fitting to reference the Master. The Bible clearly and certainly defines happiness and the path to attain it. As Augustine noted, “In Cicero and Plato, and other such writers, I meet with many things acutely said, and things that excite a certain warmth of emotions, but in none of them do I find these words, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’”

I conclude with this thought from President Dallin H. Oaks, a prophet of God, and the newly installed President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “Those who govern their thoughts and actions solely by the principles of liberalism or conservatism or intellectualism cannot be expected to agree with all of the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As for me, I find some wisdom in liberalism. Some wisdom in conservatism. And much truth in intellectualism–But I find no salvation in any of them.”

SUMMARY

Big Idea

The enduring wisdom of historical thinkers and spiritual leaders emphasizes the importance of order, purpose, and moral guidance in life. True happiness and meaning come from adhering to timeless principles—specifically those rooted in faith, love, and self-sacrifice. The inner order of the soul is intrinsically linked to societal harmony. While various intellectual traditions offer insights, it is only through the spiritual teachings found in Christianity that salvation and ultimate fulfillment can be found.

Key Points

Wisdom from the past acts as a guide, offering perspective and advice for living a purposeful life.

Life is serious and requires courage, humility, and enjoyment of the present, as noted by various philosophers and writers.

The significance of work and the fleeting nature of enjoyment highlight the importance of focusing on meaningful pursuits rather than waiting for ideal circumstances.

Life should be viewed in relation to the world to come, emphasizing spiritual perspective and the existence of a “secret self” beyond outward actions.

Character is shaped through ongoing effort and self-reflection, as described by Goethe’s quarry metaphor.

Societal order is grounded in Divine and natural law; the harmony of the soul and society are interconnected and essential for peaceful coexistence.

The best guidance for living comes from inherited moral and religious traditions, particularly the commandments to love God and others.

The Bible provides clear direction for true happiness, surpassing the wisdom found in secular philosophy.

Intellectual, liberal, and conservative philosophies offer partial truths, but only spiritual teachings offer salvation.