Look for the True Nature of Things

Look inward. Don’t let the true nature or value of anything elude you.

Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

It’s a story that’s been around almost as long as stories. The value lies not with what is visible, but what is within. Stories of shape-shifters, of gods who visit humanity, of the second king of Israel, of a vain man cursed to be a beast until he learns to love, thus changing himself from the inside. It’s such a common trope that we tend to overlook it the timeless truth that it shows us.

What we show to the world is a reflection of what’s going on inside of us. Sometimes, we are quiet and guarded – probably because we have been hurt. Sometimes, we are loud and boisterous – probably because we have been ignored. Whatever is inside has a way of presenting on the outside.

We know this about ourselves, but do we realize it about others as well? As we develop empathy, compassion, our emotional intelligence, how we look at others begins to change. We don’t just stop at the surface, but we see the person within as well. We start to wonder about what’s going on inside that is causing this person to act in such a way.

The value of something is what we place on it. The value of someone is intrinsic, and based on the fact that they are loved deeply by the God in whose image they were created. Don’t get the two confused.