DH Lawrence

I was talking to someone this morning who is down on their luck and starting to wade into the dangerous waters of self pity. It's interesting how far down the heathen spectrum I've slid. There was a time many, many years ago when I would've quoted scriptures for encouragement. Now I seem to just have a head full of rap lyrics. This one came to mind:

I don't ask for nothing that I don't demand of myself
Honesty, loyalty, friends and then wealth
Death before dishonor and I'll tell you what else
I'll tighten my belt before I beg for help
Foolish pride is what held me together
Through the years I wasn't felt
Which is why I ain't never played myself

I just play the hand I'm dealt
I can't say I've never knelt
before God and asked for better cards
Sometimes to no avail
But I never sat back feeling sorry for myself
If you don't give me heaven I'll raise hell...

-Justify My Thug (Jay-Z)

I was real close to hooking up with a girl in college when I had a moment of stupidity. In the conversation that followed, which would be our last conversation, she told me, "Don't ask for something that you yourself can't give." That's probably one of the most important things I learned in college. Every personal relationship since then has been guided by that principle.

As for the second stanza...
No one will ever pay you what you're worth. No one will ever respect you more than you're capable of respecting yourself. The world is filled with people eager to build a monument to your shortcomings, failures and mistakes. The last thing you should do is give them the bricks. If no one else believes in you, believe in yourself.

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.
-DH Lawrence