Know ThySelf

by Qaraandin

What do you need to do if you want to be sure you have the best spiritual health?

What do you need to do if you want to be sure you have the best mental health?

What do you need to do if you want to be sure you have the best physical health?

Most of us have no idea!

Our Khema’atic ancestors advised us to know ourselves. They knew we could not have perfect spiritual, mental, and physical health without that knowledge.

We know so little about ourselves we create “leaders” to tell us what we must do and who we should be. Or, we allow others who are “leaders” are. In each case, we are disappointed and angry when the “leaders” don’t lead us the way we think they should. We want them to be “perfect” even when we know we are not.

When we begin to maintain our temples, we realize that we do not need “leaders.” Once we begin to take control of one area of our lives, it becomes easier to take control of other areas.

When we know who we want to be and what we need to do, we can lead ourselves. We are always free to change direction when we want to.

Although we have been programmed to rely on others to tell us about ourselves, each one of us knows all we need to know so we can do what we need to do at any given time. We learned yesterday what we need to know to get us through today. What we learn today prepares us for tomorrow.

We harm ourselves when we do what others tell us we need to do instead of doing what we know we need to do.

How many times have you done something someone else told you to do even though it did not feel right to you? Most of us have done that far more times than we want to remember. We did it anyway and, later, were sorry we did.

The “someone” could have been a friend, lover, parent, spiritual adviser, teacher, brother, physician, sister. We let that person  lead us somewhere we did not want to go. Or, we let her or him lead us away from where we knew we should have been going but did not want to go.

Each of us is on a different level spiritually, mentally, and physically. You may not be on a level where where you can apply the lessons I have learned. I may not be on a level where I can apply the lessons you have learned.

We need to realize that “different” does not mean one level is better than another. It means only that each level is unique. Each level has within it the lessons we need to learn before we can know ourselves on that level.

Once we “know thyself,” everything else is easy.

Sistah Qaraandin’s work has appeared in several newspapers and magazines. Her highly acclaimed first book, “Maintaining Our Temples,” is a top seller. She is currently the publisher/editor of “Sistah Qaraandin’s M.O.T. Healthzine.” She also lectures and conducts workshops on several different subjects..

You can contact her at pantherpawproductions@hotmail.com.


“The healing power of a person lies within the person, not within the doctor, a pill, or a knife. The healing power of a community lies within the community, not within a ballot box, an executive order, or a referendum.”

from: Maintaining Our Temples
by: Qaraandin