#636 The Royal You

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote Self-Reliance in 1841. (For curious souls, he was 38 at the time.)

Among many other notable and quotable passages from that must-read essay, he tells the story of a “sot” being picked up off the street and treated like a prince.

Here’s how he puts it: “That popular fable of the sot who was picked up dead drunk in the street, carried to the duke’s house, washed and dressed and laid in the duke’s bed, and, on his waking, treated with all obsequious ceremony like the duke, and assured that he had been insane, owes its popularity to the fact, that it symbolizes so well the state of man, who is in the world a sort of sot, but now and then wakes up, exercises his reason, and finds himself a true prince.”

That’s pretty epic.

For the moment, let’s imagine that YOU are that “sot,” shall we?

Let’s imagine that the current version of you that you are expressing is just a fraction of your infinite potential. (Which, for the record, we can bet is pretty much true regardless of your current level of awesome. Which, for the record, is awesome as we’re ALWAYS capable of even more. The greatest joy and challenge of life? Having fun actualizing that potential.)

With that in mind, let’s have fun waking up, exercising our reason, and trying on our new royal personalities. And then let’s remember to make a habit out of that whole “waking up” thing.

(Note: Some call that whole practice of staying awake “enlightenment.” In fact, did you know that the name the “Buddha” literally means “the awakened one”?)

And, as we practice staying awake to the highest within us, let’s remember that science supports this approach. In fact, Richard Wiseman (Britain’s official professor in “the Public Understanding of Psychology”) encourages us to play a similar game in The As If Principle.

He says: “It might be helpful to think of your old personality as being on vacation for two weeks, so you have an opportunity to act like a different person. It is important, however, that you play out your new role twenty-four hours a day, even when you’re alone. The As If principle will cause you to feel like a new person, and the new you will soon become part of your actual identity.”

So, high fives to the Royal You.

Have an amazing, Self-Reliant, noble day!